At least 1,500 residents of the controversial Tumutumu/Mathingira farm along the borders of Murang’a and Machakos counties have decried increased harassment by security officers.
The residents claim they are living in fear after police, allegedly under the influence of some interested parties, made arbitrary arrests over allegations of squatting on the disputed 2,000 acres of land.
The protest follows accusations by the residents, led by community leader Raphael Mutuku, that some individuals, who claim to own the land, are using police officers to carry out illegal arrests.
Mutuku said members of the Riakanau cooperative society have also joined the growing list of individuals claiming ownership of the land, which also borders Kirinyaga county.
The chairman stated that they have been fighting a number of individuals who claim to have acquired portions of land through the society, adding that the matter has been reported to the National Lands Commission (NLC) and the Ministry of Lands.
“In 2019, we filed a case at the Environment and Lands Court in Machakos County, and in December 2022, a ruling was made to maintain the status quo. Since then, we’ve had no hearing, and none of the respondents have appeared in court. What we’ve been facing are arrests of locals charged with illegally settling on the land,” the chairman noted.
The 61-year-old Mutuku, who was born and raised on the land, said that to date, they have no title deeds for their parcels.
“This land, which stretches from the Kenol-Makutano highway and extends five kilometers into the interior of Machakos County, seems to have attracted many interested parties, who have been trying to evict us. Our people have been arrested repeatedly as a form of intimidation,” he said.
John Mwangi, a community member, shared that he has been arrested several times since 2023. He questioned why government agencies have delayed resolving the issue.
“We’ve been raised on this land, and it seems there’s undue political influence that’s been delaying the resolution of the ownership issue. Let the so-called owners show up and attend court hearings. The issue has also been lodged with the Ministry of Lands and the NLC, and we appeal to the government to help us resolve this matter and end the arbitrary arrests and harassment by security agents used by those claiming ownership,” Mwangi said.
He urged police officers to stop being used by these purported owners and allow the government authorities to resolve the land ownership dispute.
Another resident, Domitilla Mumbi, said she was arrested a week ago while going about her daily business along the Kenol-Makutano highway. She explained that when she was arraigned at Kithimani Law Courts, she was charged with occupying someone’s land illegally, even though she has lived there with her parents for years.
Tatiana Njenga, a counsel working with the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC), said the issues faced by residents at Tumutumu/Mathingira are likely rooted in historical land injustices.
Njenga stated that despite the matter being in court and under consideration by relevant government agencies, there have been numerous human rights violations against innocent residents.
“The current harassment is being carried out by the police and DCI, targeting people who have lived on this land since the pre-colonial era. They are being arrested, discriminated against, and falsely charged,” she said.
“As KHRC, we want to ensure the status quo ordered by the court is respected, and those who claim to own the land stop infringing on the rights of the residents until the matter is resolved,” she added.
Njenga also mentioned that Mumbi’s case on the illegal occupation charge is scheduled for a hearing in March, while urging the police to stop the arbitrary arrests of locals.
– By Bernard Munyao