Nairobi — Lands Principal Secretary Nixon Korir is rooting for the compulsory acquisition of a contentious land parcel adjacent Moi University in Eldoret for resettlement of squatters.
Korir gave this proposal when he appeared before the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Lands, which probing ownership of the contentious land measuring approximately 1, 500 acres and which is at the centre of a protracted dispute between the University and locals under the umbrella of Ngeria Squatters.
The PS noted that the dispute had been adjudicated to the level of the Supreme Court and that the State Department's hands were tied regarding the plight of the squatters who have petitioned the National Assembly regarding ownership of the land.
The process, he explained would involve compulsory acquisition of the contentious land to the Settlement Fund to initiate the squatter's resettlement.
Both the Squatters, and a private developer who sold it to the University claim to have been offered the land by former President the president the Late Daniel Arap Moi.
Committee Chairperson Hon. Joash Nyamoko, directed the PS and his team to undertake further validation of documents and correspondences relating to ownership of the land filed by key parties, to enable the Committee arrive at the most logical conclusion on the matter.
The Committee was meeting the PS after an inspection visit to the contentious land measuring approximately 1,500 acres in July, 6, 2024.
The Committee begun the probe after locals under the umbrella of Ngeria Squatters petitioned the National Assembly to come to their rescue after alleged trespassers begun tilling the contentious land in readiness for the 2024 planting season earlier this year, despite the ongoing ownership dispute.
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The Committee had subsequently ordered for the immediate suspension of all activities on the contentious land pending resolution of the ownership dispute.
Hon. Korir told the Committee that the matter had been resolved through a Judgement at the Supreme Court on December 15, 2023, which issued a permanent in junction restraining the squatters from invasion of the land.
The Squatters had claimed to have been allocated the contentious land for settlement by former President the Late Daniel Arap Moi, a move the Court ruled was irregular.
"The Matter has been adjudicated in the highest court in the land and therefore the State Department cannot take further action," noted Hon. Korir.
Hon. Nyamoko noted that the Committee had an obligation to conclude its probe and make a final determination and directed the PS to undertake a thorough verification of documents and correspondence relating to ownership of the land presented by key parties in the dispute.
"We need you to do that so that as we proceed, we are sure that we are citing and quoting information from legitimate documents," noted Hon. Nyamoko.
The Committee also issued a fresh directive for the Moi University Management to avail their alleged ownership title of the Land.
