Some 71 families living in Patakwa settlement scheme in Saboti Constituency, Trans Nzoia County took to the streets to protest against an eviction order by the Kitale Lands and Environment Court.
The eviction notice dated August 22, 2022, that has been addressed to the OCS of Kinyoro Police Station commands police to forcefully evict the 71 families from the said land.
The eviction order authorises the OCS to use such reasonable force to facilitate the enforcement of the eviction.
While addressing the press in Berur area, Joseph Ngeiywa, the Secretary General of Patwaka farm said they acquired the land from the government in 2013 after they were evicted from Chepyuk in Mount Elgon at the height of Saboat Land Defense Forces (SLDF) uprising.
“The government allocated us the said land in March 2013. Our names appear on the list used to allocate the beneficiaries of our plots and the ballots duly vetted by the task force chaired by Solomon Ouko,” Ngeiywa said.
Eviction order causes tension
He further said that the eviction order has caused tension and is likely to threaten peace in the area.
“Tension is building up in this area because the people targeted do not have another place to go. More than 80 families risk being rendered landless and homeless which will create a serious humanitarian crisis,” he added.
Phyllis Marangach, the chairperson of the farm questioned the motive behind the eviction and asked the government to intervene to avert looming danger in the land.
“Some of our children are orphaned. There are also widows, the elderly and the disabled. If we are flushed from our legally acquired land, where shall we go?” Marangach asked.
Florence Chebon, an elderly widow and a mother of 12 boys, said all the people were allocated two and a half acres of land after a successful vetting process.
“We left Chepyuk for vetting before we were allocated the plots. I am now a widow with 12 children who live on my piece of land. Now the government wants to evict us from our land, where shall we go? Show us, please,” Chebon pleaded.
Laurence Cheboten, an elder said the eviction order is suspicious and asked relevant government agencies to intervene.
“There is an ongoing case where a hearing is scheduled for October 3, 2022. The case is yet to be determined. So this leaves us with the question as to why an order will be issued and the case has not come to conclusion. We, therefore, ask the DPP to establish the validity of the order,” he said.
Erick Simatwa, an opinion leader called on all elected leaders in Trans Nzoia to chip in and address the sensitive matter before it explodes into a security matter.
“Our governor George Natembeya and all the elected leaders should listen to our cries and give us a lasting solution. After evicting them from their land, where will they go?” Simatwa posed.
They also asked the government to provide them with security.
