A spate of land invasion has hit Mombasa District following a presidential declaration that absentee landlords would lose their land to squatters.
And as hundreds of settlers subdivided about 100 acres of land in the north Coast at the weekend, landlords condemned the move.
Squatters armed with machetes were invading more land by Sunday, which they claimed had been idle for years.
“We have decided to take up this land because it cannot remain idle for ever while there are landless people. It has remained idle since 1952 when I settled here,” said a squatter, Mr Matano Sudi, 70.
Squatter families could be seen clearing bushes for settlement.
On his first leg of Coast tour last month, President Kibaki announced that land belonging to absentee landlords would be taken up and allocated to the landless.
The President also dared absentee landlords to sue the Government for the action. But landlords complained that the Government had failed to protect their property.
Mr Mohamed Rashid Riyami, a landowner, protested at the invasion of his more than 16 acres of land in Kisauni, which he said was inherited from his father.
He showed The Standard a title deed issued under Colony and Protectorate Ordinance of 1908. Mr Ali Riyami, who owns more than 10 acres in Kisauni, said squatters invaded his land on Friday and had shared it out.
He blamed politicians for inciting residents to take over private land and warned that such a move could degenerate into anarchy.
Ali said as a Kenyan he has a right to own property anywhere in the country, which must be protected by the State.
Another landowner, Mr Miraj Ali, said squatters killed his cows and destroyed crops on his 10-acre land on Friday. Miraj said the invaders brought down cowsheds and disconnected electricity and water.
Mombasa District Commissioner, Mr Mohamed Maalim, confirmed the invasion and promised that the Government would evict the squatters.
He said people who proved land ownership would be protected. The DC warned the squatters that stern action would be taken against those found to have invaded and destroyed private property.
“We are also aware that some of the people invading land are not genuine squatters,” Maalim added.
The Government has promised to settle the land problem by the end of this year. In June, President Kibaki directed that squatters be issued with title deeds by December.
Acting Lands minister, Prof Kivutha Kibwana, has said more than 30,000 title deeds have been processed and would be issued to squatters.
