Residents from City Carton Slum within suburbs of Athi River town, Machakos County have been warned against intimidating a local investor.
Addressing hivisasa.com at his office on Wednesday, Athi River deputy county commissioner, Kodeck Makori, said the residents were frustrating the investor because he was of foreign origin.
"Residents of the City Carton Slum know very well that the land they are claiming has an access road to their houses is a private land, they are intimidating him just because he is a Kenyan of Indian excretion," said Makori.
Makori was reacting to the residents' allegations that the investor had blocked an access to their houses thereby making them find difficulties to get to their homes within the slum.
They had for the last two weeks been protesting against the private investor who had fenced the entire piece of land with a perimeter wall in a bid of protecting and developing it.
Makori said the residents at a point tried to bring down part of the wall due to the alleged access road but were intercepted by security agents after the owner raised complaints and even produced a title deed to justify its ownership.
"The access road they are demanding is a private land, why do they block someone from fencing his own personal property? Whhat he is doing is to secure it off in readiness to do a shopping mall," said Makori.
He said the same people who call themselves "squatters" were moved from the parcel of land in 2012 after successful negotiations through office of the area chief and were given construction materials to go build their own houses elsewhere but instead went building on a parcel of land just next where they apparently squat that is also private.
"The complainants do not own the parcel of land they have squatted on. It is private land belonging to another investor who has not lodged complaints with us yet," said Makori.
Makori said there is a public access road leading to the slum but the residents were not aware of that since they are not its owners.
He said the right owner of the land where the slum is located knows location of the road leading to his land and has not so far complained.
Makori wondered where the residents currently pass to their houses given that the perimeter fence that been erected had not been brought down though they operate in and out their houses on daily basis.
He warned the slum dwellers against breaching peace by intimidating the investor who was just exercising his constitutional right to own and develop his legitimate property.
Makori said those who will be found engaging in criminal activities in the region will face the full force of the law adding that the consequences will be dire.