A day after Riamoni chief issued an eviction order to some residents of Nyaiguta village from a quarry on grounds that it is a government property, the affected families have accused Mr Francis Rasugu of ‘acting out of order by grabbing' their land.
On Monday, the soft-spoken chief had declared the quarry a government land and gave families who have been claiming ownership a week to cease executing any mining activities.
On Tuesday, however, angry residents faulted Mr Rasugu and dared him to evict them besides threatening to call for his sacking.
“We have used this quarry from time memorial. Our fathers and grandfathers used it too and therefore it’s ironical for the government to claim want belongs to us. We will not leave this place unless the chief wants to be sacked because we are ready to influence his dismissal,” said Peter Onchwari.
According to them, the chief has been using his powers to frustrate their efforts to acquire a title deed and the move was a wider plan to privatise the land.
“Who doesn’t know that Mr Rasugu has frustrated our efforts to get title deeds from the registry? He has a plan our using our land for his own benefit and that is unacceptable,” added Mr Aungo Ondieki.
But speaking in a funeral ceremony near the village, Mr Rasugu defended his move and said the land was a genuine property of the government.
“The land belongs to the government and that is why you are seeing a dispensary near it. It is not a scheme to chase people and I am ready to show accountability,” he said.