Nairobi — Land surveyors took to their heels and had to be rescued by police after squatters on the land they had gone to demarcate in Mtwapa chased them away.

Tension gripped Mtwapa in Kilifi after the squatters blocked the surveyors from demarcating the disputed private owned land which an ex-principal of Utalii College, Mr Philemon Mwaisaka, says he owns.

Trouble broke out shortly after 10 a.m. when Mr Mwaisaka who owns the 77.8 acres of land brought in surveyors to survey 24 acres of the plot which he wanted to settle the squatters.

But as the surveyors got down to business, hundreds of squatters armed with crude weapons besieged them, chasing them away.

As the chaos erupted dozens of anti-riot police moved in and controlled the squatters who were baying for the surveyors blood.

The police quelled the scuffle as the irate squatters stood ground that they would not allow the surveyors to dermacate the land.

When Nation reached Mr Mwaisaka for comment, he said he bought the 77.8 acres of land in 1986 at the cost of Sh664,000 and has a title deed for the property.

He even displayed the title deed for the land in Mtwapa. The former principal added that when he purchased the land there were only four squatters on the ground, saying he settled them by allocating them an acre each.

He, however, said a group of people who masqueraded as the owners sold off part of the land to private developers minting millions from the illegal land transaction.

And as a result, he noted that the number of squatters had swelled to hundreds with others having built permanent houses.

In order to end the land tussle, Mr Mwaisaka said he resolved to donate 24 acres of land for the settlement of the squatters.

"I want to resolve this land row and that is why I brought in surveyors to demarcate the land for the benefit of the squatters," Mr Mwaisaka said.

He added: "But sadly the squatters do not seem to appreciate my good gesture. Who can give you 24 acres of land for free?If they don't want the land then that is their own problem."

The former PS warned people against buying any part of the land, saying they will end up losing their cash to racketeers.

But a squatter presentative Margaret Luvuno said they stopped the surveyors from sub-dividing the land since the 24 acres were not enough for the settlement of over 500 squatters.

Ms Luvuno claimed that majority of the squatters had been living on the land for the past 35 years and had built permanent houses.

"My father settled on this land 35 years ago since it belonged to the government. We wonder why somebody wants to deny us of our ancestral land," she asserted.

She said they rejected the 24 acres since they wanted the whole plot to be used for their settlement.

Another squatter Farida Salim appealed to the government to purchase the land and use it for their settlement.

"We have over the years developed the land and therefore we can not move out. To end this row amicably the government should buy the land from the owner and settle us," Ms Salim said.

In May, chaos broke out at the disputed plot when buldozers pulled down some houses belonging to squatters.