The looming controversy of the Malindi ADC land has taken a new twist, after hundreds of squatters from Sabaki, Magarini sub-county stormed into the parcel and distributed the land among themselves.
Led by Sabaki Member of County Assembly, Edward Kazungu Dele alongside the secretary of Sabaki Community Development Project, Stembo Kaviha, the squatters said no amount of intimidation will make them move out of the ADC land.
Addressing the press while distributing the land, Mr. Dele said residents were forced to distribute the land without involving the National Land Commission (NLC) after all the government offices they approached gave them a deaf ear to their peaceful request to have their ancestral land back.
The MCA added, “today we are nailing it. We expressed our grievances to Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, National Land Commission, office of Director of Public Prosecution and all government offices we were required to contact concerning our land. But since we are poor squatters, no one made an effort to address the issue,"
Sabaki Community Development Project secretary, Stembo Kaviha, said that the decision to distribute the land was harmoniously reached after the residents of Sabaki were made landlessness for long.
“We have come for our land. If someone received a bribe from cartels to make Sabaki people squatters forever, he/she is mistaken. May he/she return the money because since we have set foot here, we will not get out,” Kaviha added.
According to Mr. Kaviha, squatters from Sabaki who earlier owned the land were asked by ADC to surrender the land to be assisted do agricultural projects, adding that after the government agricultural projects failed, the government hesitated to give it back.
The residents claimed that unknown people were taking over the land with no explanation from the government, adding that the land was being grabbed by private developers.
However, Malindi ADC manager, Mulupi Murasi, refuted having received information concerning the controversy, adding that ADC headquarters in Nairobi have all the details of the same.
Mr. Murusi added, “I was not consulted of the move the Sabaki residents were to take. However, officers from Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission and National Land Commission are investigating on the mattermatter,"