Barely two weeks after President William Ruto ordered the repossession of 2,700 acres of illegally acquired Kenya Prisons Service land in Kitale, the government has begun erecting beacons on the property.
On Wednesday, a security team in 10 vehicles and riot gear descended on the land and, with the help of inmates, began erecting the beacons, causing fear among local residents who watched from a distance.
The security team, led by Deputy Commissioner of Prisons Charles Mutembei, included officers from the National Police Service, the Prisons Service, and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI). Officials from the Ministry of Lands supervised the exercise.
During his tour of Trans Nzoia County on January 16, President Ruto warned those who had occupied Kitale Prison land to leave or face eviction and prosecution.
The President's order caused tension in the county, where land grabbers are said to be well-connected and influential.
Some of the areas where beacons were erected on Wednesday include Wamuini, Kephis, Mali Tatu, Top Station Primary, Mitambo and Annex Prison area.
Kitale West Sub-county OCPD Patrick Gaitarira and his Kwanza counterpart, James Odera, were among the senior police officers involved in the operation.
The armed officers carried out the exercise without any resistance from the beneficiaries of the land in question.
The heavy police presence brought business in the Village Inn, Mitambo and Wamuini areas to a standstill.
Mutembei declined to comment on the exercise, saying they were only implementing government directives.
Residents interviewed by Nation.Africa urged the government to consider a compensation plan for people who bought the land from grabbers.
"Some of these people bought the land without knowing that it was irregularly allocated to influential people. We request the government to conduct humane evictions and consider compensation for innocent Kenyans," said Jackson Muganda.
Boniface Wanyoike, Programme Officer at the Justice and Peace Centre, called for a systematic and thorough identification of the beneficiaries of the land.
“We want victims who bought land without knowing it was government land to be assisted through compensation,” he told Nation.Africa.
The land is part of what was captured in the Ndung’u Report on Historical Injustices, tabled in parliament years ago, which named 424 individuals and entities, including state firms, accused of irregular land acquisition.
According to the report, most of the illegal land acquisitions took place during the regime of President Daniel arap Moi, with influential government officials among the beneficiaries.
Some of the large tracts of land in question have not been developed and have been left to the individuals to farm or leased to farmers.
Some of the land has also been used for serious development investments, including rentals, apartments, houses, churches and other private facilities.
The evictions were planned against the backdrop of congestion in prison facilities and deplorable housing conditions for prison officers in Kitale prisons.
