A quiet storm is brewing in Taveta, Taita Taveta County, where residents and leaders are raising alarm over what they describe as rampant land grabbing in the agriculturally rich zones of the sub-county.
Taveta, considered the heartbeat of the region's farming economy, is now at the centre of a bitter dispute between local communities and private investors, among them politicians. The situation has left locals fearing that grabbers are targeting even more areas.
From Jipe to Buruma, Njukini and other prime zones, residents are accusing influential individuals, who cannot be named for legal reasons, of grabbing their land. Recently, over 3,000 people in Jipe were displaced. Locals also lost access to water sources and grazing fields, deepening their sense of betrayal.
In another incident, the 3,720-acre Njukini Ngitu land, bordering Rombo Ranch, Tsavo West National Park and Kajiado County, has also landed into private hands.
Communities in these areas claim that the parcels of land are their ancestral home, but a lack of ownership documentation has rendered them squatters, hence making it easier to be evicted.
In May, Clashes erupted when angry squatters disrupted a meeting convened by the County Assembly's Land Committee to resolve the dispute.
A member of the county assembly was injured during the chaos, as squatters claiming ownership of the land attacked the committee with rungus, forcing officials and staff to flee for safety.
The vast agricultural land has long been a flashpoint of conflict among the Kamba, Maasai, Taita and Taveta communities. Over 5,000 squatters have occupied the land for many years.
To counter the rampant grabbing, residents have now formed the Nyario Ya Kididi cha Tuweta Community Land Management Committee (CLMC), a 15-member team tasked with safeguarding communal land rights. Nyario Ya Kididi cha Tuweta means 'Tracing Truth in Taveta'.
The committee comprises elders, women, youth and other categories of residents, and is responsible for documenting historical land ownership, petitioning authorities, and halting further encroachment. CLMC chairperson Reuben Metioni said Taveta has long suffered land injustices, with most parcels entangled in ownership disputes.
He noted that the committee will work closely with local authorities and civil society organisations to document ancestral claims, raise awareness, and advocate for legal recognition of community-held lands.
“Some community land that belongs to the locals has been grabbed. That is unacceptable,” Mr Metioni said.
Nyario Ya Kididi cha Tuweta Community Land Management Committee chairperson Reuben Metioni during an interview in Taveta, Taita Taveta County on September 22, 2025.
Photo credit: Lucy Mkanyika| Nation Media Group
He added that non-locals have invaded the land, and the committee is determined to revert it to the community.
“I urge residents to support us so that we can reclaim all community land that has been grabbed. Through this unity, we will be able to stop the cartels that have invaded our rich agricultural lands, rendering us squatters,” he said.
“Their days are numbered. The way they used to trickle here has come to an end. We are now awake and we will fight to the end. Our land must benefit us because it’s our right to own land like any other Kenyan,” he declared.
In Buruma, farmers suspect that hundreds of acres of rice fields have been irregularly acquired by a private investor. Meanwhile, in Machungwani, whispers of an impending takeover have stirred fresh anxiety among farmers who fear eviction from the 3,000-acre farm. The land has been at the centre of controversy between former Taveta MP Basil Criticos and farmers who have invaded and subdivided it among themselves.
The 99-year lease to Mr Criticos expired in 2014 and the farmers now want the land reverted to the county government and redistributed. Over 5,000 squatters have occupied the farm, claiming it is their ancestral land and that they have cultivated it for decades.
The CLMC now plans to begin mapping disputed parcels and pushing for the gazettement and registration of unregistered community lands. The committee is officially recognised by the Ministry of Lands and includes members from Taveta and other parts of Taita Taveta County.
Residents who spoke to Nation said Taveta’s fertile soil and access to water sources have made it a prime target for speculators and large-scale farming investors. Ms Fridah Sainei, a resident, said the situation has reached a breaking point.
A Taveta resident Fridah Sainei during an interview with journalists in Taveta, Taita Taveta County.
Photo credit: Lucy Mkanyika| Nation Media Group
“We don’t have any land that belongs to us. Some of our leaders have grabbed our land and that is the truth. We don’t even have people to fight for us. Our land has been grabbed,” she said.
Ms Sainei urged residents to rally behind the CLMC, saying the committee needs community support to succeed.
“We must work with this committee so that we support them to fight on our behalf. Without our support, they will not go far,” she added.
She accused some local leaders of colluding with cartels to dispossess residents and called for full recognition of all community land.
Mr Paul Oling’a, a facilitator at the Taita Resource Community Centre, said that the committee has a daunting task ahead.
Taita Resource Centre facilitator Paul Oling’a during an interview with journalists in Taveta, Taita Taveta County.
Photo credit: Lucy Mkanyika| Nation Media Group
“We work with twelve communities in the coastal region. We will help in capacity building the committee so that it can execute its mandate,” he said.
Mr Oling’a noted that reclaimed community land would be issued with a certificate of title, owned by the registered community.
“Community land is protected under the Constitution, but enforcement has been weak. Organised documentation and legal follow-up are the only way to secure these lands,” he added.
Mr Mshenga Reuben, a youth from Taveta, said the stakes are high, emphasising that the fight is not just about land but about dignity, their identity and the future.
“We risk losing everything if we don’t act now. But with unity, we can reclaim what is ours and protect it for future generations,” he said.
Meanwhile, political blame games have intensified with the area MP John Bwire distancing himself from allegations that he was aware of or involved in the land grabbing.
“I have been fighting for the Machungwani land in court and we won. What wrong did I do? I am not aware of any land grabbing going on at Buruma. If you know what has happened in Jipe, call us for a meeting. I will also tell you what I know. But don’t go around soiling our names with false allegations,” Mr Bwire said while attending a burial service in Taveta.
