Transport was paralysed along the Kivaa-Kiambere Road after angry residents blocked the road accusing the government and the Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) of failing to compensate their land that was taken to construct the Gitaru dam.
Hundreds thronged the road and barricaded it using stones and tree branches, paralysing movement for motorists.
Motorists ferrying goods from the area were caught up in the melee as the demonstrators engaged police in the running battle.
The protesters also lit fire on the road prompting police to lob teargas canisters to disperse them as they tried to access the gate entering Gitaru Power Station offices.
The locals said they have been pushing for the compensation in vain saying they were left landless after their land was taken away.
”We were displaced from our land to pave the way for construction of this mega-dam, but even after accepting and the government promising to compensate us nothing has happened 50 years down the line,” John Njoka Runji, the chairman of the Ikandi clan said.
He noted that the land belongs to six clans and it was punitive that they got nothing from their land despite several attempts through letters that they have written to the government and KenGen.
Runji challenged the KenGen administration to come out and explain who they paid the compensation for their land.
His sentiments were echoed by Nyaga Njagi, the chairman of the Gachugu clan, who alleged that their clan has 1,200 acres of land that is currently under KenGen.
”We cannot accept this kind of impunity and we shall have weekly demonstrations until our grievances are heard. We will not accept our land to be taken away in this manner. If true they paid us then let the government come out and present the documents,” he said.
Antony Njue who chairs the Kamuvia clan stated that they are now old and many people have already died while pushing for the compensation calling on the government to move with speed and compensate them.
