Mr Muna Jumbe and his wife Rita Jumbe at their demolished house at Mkocheni village in Taveta on October 5, 2025. Over 50 families were left homeless after the demolition to pave way for an agricultural project by a private investor.
More than 300 people have been left homeless after an investor destroyed their homes at Mkocheni village in Taveta, Taita Taveta County, to pave the way for a large-scale agricultural project on a 1,000-acre land near Lake Jipe.
The evictions, which took place on Sunday night, have raised questions about ongoing evictions in the agriculturally rich area of Taveta, where residents are being evicted to pave the way for the shadowy figure behind the investment.
The affected squatters told the Nation that they were woken at around 2 am by armed police officers and local administrators asking them to move out of their houses. The families had filed a case in June at the Environment and Land Court in Voi, suing the Taveta Land Adjudication and Settlement Officer, the Cabinet Secretary for Lands, and the attorney-general.
Ms Hamida Daudi during an interview at Mkocheni village in Taveta on October 5, 2025. She says they have no where to ho after their houses were demolished.
The matter is still pending in court, with the squatters believing that the order protected them from eviction.
“We have a valid court order barring any eviction, so we were shocked when they came with force,” said Hamida Daudi, one of those affected.
“Our grandparents lived here, our parents were born here and we were also born and raised here. Now I’m a grandmother, and they’re throwing us out like criminals,” she said.
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The land was previously owned by former First Lady Mama Ngina Kenyatta and former Taveta MP Basil Criticos. It is not clear how it changed hands, with Mr Criticos claiming that it was grabbed from him.
Ms Daudi said the new investor, whose identity cannot be revealed due to legal restrictions, has refused to engage with them directly. She said they were told to vacate the land and accept a compensation package.
“When we ask our leaders who this investor is, they tell us ‘Hili ni shamba la mkubwa’ (this land belongs to the big man). Who is this big man who has no regard for fellow human beings? We are suffering because they have money and we are poor. They might as well have killed us," she said.
She said efforts to seek help from local leaders, including elected politicians, have not yielded fruit.
Former First Lady Mama Ngina Kenyatta.
“They say the matter is beyond them. If our leaders are helpless, who will help us?” she said.
In January, the government issued title deeds to the squatters, proposing relocation to an alternative area neighbouring the expensive farm. However, the squatters say the documents were riddled with errors, and some parcels were already titled to other owners.
“The land they want us to move to is full of wildlife, especially elephants. Some of the plots are already occupied. There’s confusion over ownership," said another squatter, Mwema Musyoka.
Mr Musyoka said the families were summoned to the Deputy County Commissioner’s office and handed Sh100,000 each as compensation. They were also given GOK-branded mattresses, blankets, a bar of soap, and ten iron sheets per household.
“There was no negotiation; we were told to take the money and leave. We don’t know where the money came from or why a government officer was involved in distributing it. The ten iron sheets and the money are not enough to relocate and build a house," he said.
Gabriel Wandera, a resident of Jipe, said the evictions have disrupted lives, schooling, and livelihoods.
“The displaced families are in urgent need of assistance. We don’t know how they will settle or how their children will go to school this week. We’re appealing to well-wishers to come forward,” he said.
Taita Taveta Governor Andrew Mwadime condemned the evictions and promised to investigate what he termed as wanton land grabbing in Taveta.
“This is unfair and it has now gotten out of hand. Our people are being rendered landless while others benefit from vast tracts of farmland,” he said.
Governor Mwadime noted that Taveta’s fertile lands have become a target for cartels and politically connected individuals.
“This must stop. We cannot allow a few powerful people to displace entire communities under the guise of development,” he said.
