Anthony Kitimo
22 May 2008
Nairobi — More than 100 families are being evicted from a 115-acre parcel of land in Msambweni to pave the way for a sugarcane project.
Local Government officials and about 300 Kwale International Sugar Company workers on Monday destroyed mature crops in Nyumba Sita Village ahead of the project's launch.
No prior notice
Residents protested at the move by the Government to evict them without allocating them alternative land.
They also complained that they had no prior notice of the eviction. Armed security officers prevented the villagers from causing chaos.
Mr Hamisi Abdulla, one of the victims, said he had been living on the disputed land for the past 27 years and was against the project "which will leave so many people landless".
"The Government should resettle those who have been living on the land for decades before initiating the project.
"We do not have anywhere else to go at the moment since they have ordered us to leave the land immediately," Mr Abdulla said.
The residents asked Lands minister James Orengo to visit the area and resolve the crisis.
One of the workers of the sugar company told the Nation that they had been instructed by the local administration to "clear all the trees and crops" on the farms "because the Government wants to start the project in the next few months."
"I think there are also plans to demolish the structures soon," said one of the workers, who requested anonymity.
Tight security
The exercise, which began at 8am under the tight security of an armed Administration Police contingent, led to the destruction of several crops, including cassava, bananas, coconuts and mango trees.
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