Distressed: 170 families moved for Iten town expansion now face eviction
Some of the families from Kapsinende/Sirgoit who are facing eviction. They are among 170 families who were allocated government trust land in Uasin Gishu county after they were moved from Elgeyo Marakwet to pave the way for expansion of Iten town four decades ago. A private developer is now laying claim to the land.
What you need to know:
- Government moved the families in 1978 for the expansion of the then-Elgeyo Marakwet district headquarters
- Their relocation enabled construction of public institutions such as Tambach TTC, Iten District Hospitals, St Patrick’s High School, and Police station, among others
- They have accused a private developer of is using fake title deeds to evict them from the land
- The developer allegedly hired goons to sprayed their maize plantations with a killer chemical, withering the crop
At least 170 families who were allocated government trust land in Kapsinende/Sirgoit in Uasin Gishu county after they were moved from Elgeyo Marakwet to pave the way for expansion of Iten town four decades ago are facing eviction after a private developer laid claim to the land.
The government moved the families in 1978 for the expansion of the then-Elgeyo Marakwet district headquarters and other public institutions.
On Sunday, the 1,300 household members held demonstrations in the area, accusing a private developer of is using fake title deeds to evict them from the land.
The families say they were allocated the land by the government as compensation. They claim that they have been living in the area since 1978 until a private developer came with a suspicious title deed, claiming to have acquired the land legally.
“This is our land and we have been living here since 1978. The government gave us the land after we were moved from Elgeyo Marakwet to pave the way for the construction of public institutions such as Tambach TTC, Iten District Hospitals, St Patrick’s High School, and Police station, among other public institutions,” said Mr Fredric Chebet, one of the complainants.
Hired goons
The furious families claimed hooligans suspected to have been hired by the private developer sprayed their maize plantations with a killer chemical, resulting in the withering of the crop in the affected farms.
Mr Chebet urged the government to intervene and save them from eviction.
The aggrieved families have called on the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to investigate the title deeds held by the private developer.
“We suspect that the documents in his possession, including the title deed, are forged and we are calling on EACC to investigate the legality of these documents,” Mr Chebet said.
Mr Sayid Keitany, one of the affected people, regretted that efforts to reach the local administration to address the matter have been futile.
“We have been visiting various government offices in this region where we are only given promises with no serious action,” said Mr Keitany, adding that the grabbers are further threatening to evict the only primary school in the area.
“We have taken our delegations to various government offices, including the county commissioner’s office in Eldoret town. Most of the government officers are just making promises to intervene, with no serious action,” said Mr Keitany.
Formal complaint
However, Uasin Gishu County Commissioner Edyson Nyale said his office has not received any formal complaint from the affected families. He nonetheless appealed to concerned families to visit his office over the matter.
"My role here is to ensure that all residents are living in a peaceful environment. Since this is the first time I am hearing about this case, I will make efforts to get the attention of all parties to forge the way forward," promised the county administrator.
