Save Us From Land Cartels Within The Thika Lands Registry, Peasants Cry To Swazuri.
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| John Ndung’u Muthee narrating his predicaments at the Thika Lands Registry since 1996, a matter that has seen him lose his land in very mysterious circumstances. |
These land grabbers, working in cahoots with corrupt land
officials, are said to be targeting old people and those who do not have the
financial muscle to fight for their rights in this racket where anyone who goes
to seek services from the office get their title deeds faked and forcibly
evicted from their land.
Those most affected by this cartel are small plot owners
whose area of residence were hived off from the former Thika District as they are
tossed right left and centre to get their land documents.
85-year old John Ndung’u Muthee who bought a piece of land
in Juja Farm has been frequenting the Thika registry for his green card since the
year 1996. Recently, he came to realise that his plot of land has already been
grabbed by another person who now has a title deed for the same.
“I was shocked to see someone occupy my plot and he is now
putting up a building on my land. He has a title deed for it. How he got it, I don’t
know. How does the original owner of a piece of land miss a title deed but
another person is awarded with a title deed for the same even before involving
the owner?” posed Ndung’u.
He adds that his efforts to follow up the case with the
Thika registry have been fruitless, all he has been getting are empty promises.
His predicaments have been complicated by the numerous ‘brokers’ who operate in
cahoots with the officers in the registry to subdue people’s rights.
“These brokers are demanding sh. 30,000 to get my green
card. The one occupying my land is demanding sh. 3million to forfeit it. At my
age, where do I get that kind of money?” he asked.
A similar complaint was received from George Mburu, who
resides in Gachororo within Juja Sub County. Mburu says that he has been
pursuing the ‘green card’ for his late father’s plot of land in Ngoingwa Estate
Thika for the last two years but in vain. He says that the results of their ‘search’
is no longer visible something that has worried them as they know not if at all
their piece of land exists.
“Whenever I go there they (Thika lands officials) tell me
that the green card is lost. That they cannot trace it anywhere in their
registry. They say that it may have gotten lost when Thika was hived off from
Kiambu,” said Mburu.
In a rejoinder, Juja MP Francis Munyua Waititu said that his
office has been receiving a lot of land complaints from the Thika office.
“Between 60 and 70% of Kiambu land owners do not have title
deeds due to the cartel of land grabbers. Every day someone is losing their
land to land grabbers who are colluding with land officials, the police and officials
in the judiciary to defraud the poor of their land,” said Waititu.
The MP reckons that the title deeds are faked when people
visit the lands registry.
“Every time one presents a title deed for search in the
lands offices, the officers there photocopy these documents and give them to
these land thieves. They grabbers produce a replica of these titles from River
Road which they use to either sell to unsuspecting land buyers or develop the
land as their own. When a dispute arises, the winner is always the one with the
money,” said the Juja legislator.
He added that he was shocked to note that the cartel was now
involving sitting legislators and other people who were now seeking elective
offices within the county. He blamed the Thika lands registrar for not
forwarding title deeds meant for Juja Sub-County so that arrangement to reach
their rightful owners could be done.
“These land grabbers control the lands office and are above
the law. They have studied the judicial system well and use it to his
advantage. They will invade your land, manufacture a dispute and before you
know it, a court gives a status quo order, meaning that they continue to occupy
your land,” he retorted.
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