A group of maasai youths on Tuesday invaded a government-owned farm in Naivasha sub-county to protest over the expiry of leasehold of the farm and want it reverted to the maasai tribe.
The 500-man group stormed the Kenya Agriculture Research Institute (KARI) along the Nairobi-Nakuru Highway and claimed the land belonged to their community.
Through their spokesman Enock Ole Kimiti, the group claimed that the land was grabbed by the colonists who displaced their ancestors by duping them to sign and agreement that required them to vacate the prime land.
He said the 1904 agreement between their forefathers and settlers laid conditions that the Maasai community agreed to lease the farm for 99 years upon the expiry of the contract the farm would be reverted to the community.
“The lease has expired and the Maasai community has the legal right to get back its land,” said Kimiti.
KARI, an agency that is involved in the agricultural and livestock research, currently occupies the disputed 1000-acre farm.
Kimiti said that the community still retains the copy of the agreement that was signed in 1904 between the Maasai community and the colonial settlers, which would enable them, push for the legal owner ship of the vast prime land.
Addressing the group, Naivasha sub-county commissioner, Abraham Kemboi said that the Maasai must respect the rule of law because the government has the legal ownership of the land.
He further urged the group to remain patient as the matter is being sorted.
The disputed land is also being claimed by the Isahakia community, and its chairman Ali Farah said that case is in the court over the ownership of the land