NLC Chairman Muhammad Swazuri. He has cautioned Machakos residents to be aware of land grabbers. [Photo/xnews]
National Land Commission chairman Muhammad Swazuri has cautioned residents of Machakos county to be vigilant as land grabbers may take advantage of the development of the real estate sector in the county to con them.
Swazuri who spoke in Mombasa on Friday singled out Machakos as one of the counties with high rates of land grabbing.
He said unscrupulous businessmen were taking advantage of the development of Machakos town and other satellite towns to con people intending to procure land for real estate development.
“We are all aware that the land issue in this country is still emotive,” he said.
“Nairobi, Mombasa and Machakos are some of the counties with high land grabbing rates and I ask everyone buying land there to be vigilant.”
Swazuri spoke a week after members of the outlawed Gaza gang were accused of invading private and public land in Mlolongo.
According to Mavoko assistant county commissioner David Mukung’ the gang has changed tact to posing as land brokers in Mlolongo and its environs.
The Machakos County Government also last week warned land buyers not to be duped by conmen and land grabbers targeting the 32,000-acre international livestock research institute (ILRI) property in the Kapiti Plains.
Governor Dr Alfred Mutua said illegal attempts to grab the land had escalated.