The Kisumu County Assembly on Wednesday initiated a process to reclaim 10 acres of land in Kibos that was intended for a market but was given to private developers by the then defunct municipal council.
This follows a petition that was taken to the assembly in July this year by the residents and traders from Central Kolwa Ward who wanted the assembly to intervene in the matter of the Kibos Ong’wano market.
Chairman of the joint committee at the assembly that was formed to probe the matter Charles Aguko of Kabonyo/Kanyagwal ward gave its recommendations to the assembly during the session on Wednesday afternoon.
Aguko said they had established that the parcel of land was donated by the community in 1948 as a market but was later between 2009 and 2010 sub divided to private developers by the Kisumu municipality.
He said after a through probe of the matter, they want the National Lands Commission to revoke the current title in order to revert the land back to the community and the private developer to quit the area.
Speaking at the assembly, he said the city council of Kisumu should provide a budget to fence the market but added that the matter will still be probed since land management is not entirely a function of the county government.
Area MCA of Central Kolwa Ward Joh n Oraro thanked the two joint committees for moving fast to help the community to get back their land meant for the market.
Chairman of Kibos Ong’wano market Committee Vincent Osewe who led a group of the community of Kibos to the assembly during the debate said it was a big reprieve for the hundreds of traders in Kibos who will now have enough space for a market and move away from the road side.