Squatters from Mavoko sub-county expect to be resettled by President Uhuru Kenyatta during his three-day state visit to Ukambani region this week.
They said their wish was that the head of state’s visit to Machakos, Makueni and Kitui Counties beginning this Friday be fruitful to them since they have suffered for decades as squatters since immemorial.
“We were born and raised in Mavoko, our parents died and left us as squatters after Athi River Settlement area where our homes were was grabbed by senior people in the then governments,” said their spokesman Kimanthi Mwanzi.
“Athi River settlement area was long grabbed by senior people in past governments, we are now squatters,” said Mwanzi.
Mwanzi said the government should allocate public land to the squatters in the entire sub-county freely and issue them with title deeds.
“We need land for free and title deeds as squatters from Mavoko sub-county,” said Mwanzi.
He said their expectations were that Uhuru Kenyatta reverts ownerships of land currently under custody of East Africa Portland Cement Company, Numerical Engineering Machine, Sheep and Goat Project and NSSF all within Athi River town to the public during the visit.
Mwanzi said the state of abject poverty and despair among the squatters had resulted to lots of slums in Athi River and Mlolongo town since majority cannot afford descent houses.
He said the squatters were in dire need of the public land some of which their leases had long expired leaving them idle only for land grabbers to unlawfully acquire and dispose part of them.
Mwanzi said they needed the land for their resettlement alongside farming since majority of them were poor and jobless, “we are energetic and can farm to earn improved livelihoods, the parcels of the public land in question that is lying idle is fertile and therefore productive,” said Mwanzi.
He said they will support the Jubilee administration as long as it initiates life-changing' development projects that target vulnerable groups including the squatters.
Mwanzi who addressed the press in Athi River town on Wednesday said they will not move out of the land part of which they had occupied even if the president does not consider reverting them to the public during his visit.
Preparations for the President’s visit to Machakos is on top gear in Mavoko sub-county with the county government grading some of the feeder roads and collecting garbage that has been lying unattended to for several months.