Embu,
Tuesday April 30, 2024
KNA by Samuel Waititu
A section of Ngome Council of Elders from Mbeere Community in Embu have called on the Government to fast track their settlement in the 44,000 acres controversial Mwea Settlement Scheme.
They argued that most of the court cases that had been filed by squatters in the scheme opposing their eviction had been thrown out and thus there was nothing standing in the way of their settling down in what they claim to be their ancestral land.
Speaking during a meeting with their members at Umau Grounds in Kiritiri Town on Monday, Council Chair Joseph Ngari said it has been a long wait for their members who were issued with titles in 2018.
The Government same year suspended further subdivisions after chaos erupted over ownership wrangles leading to death of one person while scores were injured.
“With court cases out of the way, there is no reason as to why beneficiaries should continue waiting to settle in their parcels of land,” he said while asking the Government to speed up the process.
He said the remaining bits were issues that could be settled through negotiations between them and those in occupation with a view of reaching an amicable solution.
“It is upon the owner and the one in occupation to decide whether to share the portion or not,” he said.
Council Secretary Nicasius Mugo asked the National Government through the office of the County Commissioner to write to the Director of Survey to prepare titles for all beneficiaries.
He said subdivision was done successfully and ratified by the County Government’s Physical Planning Office that wrote a letter to that effect.
“The only remaining thing is for the office of the County Commissioner to formally ask the Director of Survey to issue title deeds for our members who haven’t received theirs,” he said.
Two months County Commissioner Jack Obuo ago said the Government was looking towards solving the land tussle through Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR).
He said the talks will include residents, interest groups and political leadership in an all-inclusive process.
While addressing a public baraza at Makima Market, the CC also assured residents that no one was going to be evicted from their homes.
Courtesy; KNA
