A youth lobby group in a residential area in Nakuru town wants the activities of a local council of elders probed to unearth public land grabbing crimes.
According to Antony Waweru, the chairman of Mawanga Youth Agenda, the council of elders has over the years took area residents for a ride, by continuously frustrating development agenda through skewed public land management strategies.
Wawerum who talked to this writer at the group’s offices at Mawanga trading centre on Saturday, threatened that his group would mobilize other residents to demand for the disbandment of the council, unless it comes clear over alleged land grabbing activities.
“We have been adamant to speak out about the activities of the council of elders but we think that time has come for residents to demand for transparency. We will soon organize a demonstration to force the council officials out of office because they have over stayed their welcome,” said Waweru.
“Instead of working for the welfare of the community, the elders have instead been colluding with property developers and dealers to grab public land yet they think residents are ignorant about their corrupt activities,” he added.
According to the youth leader, the council of elders that was elected some ten years ago to manage public affairs and property in the area has masterminded to grab public land that was set aside for public amenities like roads schools, health centres, social halls, markets, churches and public administration offices.
Waweru said large pieces of part of these public properties have been irregularly allocated to private developers and to council members while many development plans have failed to kick off or stalled due to mismanaging by the council.