Quick police action thwart bloody land dispute confrontation

Police from Kihumbuini AP Post in Gatanga, Murang’a County were yesterday called in to avert a looming ‘bloody’ confrontation between villagers of upper Gathinji Village in Kiunyu Location fresh streamlining (boundary) demarcation.

Tension reach fever pitch when land officials from Thika land office led by a land registrar Robert Mugendi and sub county surveyor Franklin.

The officials that gone there to resolve boundary dispute lodged by Samuel Karungo Kihara against 6 neighbors who he claimed had encroached his land but the claims were dismissed by Amos Kamau as mere propaganda.

Even before they alighted from their van, the land officials were circumnavigated by panga brandishing villagers shouting that they were not going to allow any land demarcation.

Franklin and Mugendi had a hectic time trying to cool the irate villagers. At one time, police officers had to cock their guns and threatened to haul tear gas canisters when the situation tried to get out of hand.

The officers had to keep the warring parties on separate sides.

Kihara had had through Kihumbuini ACC Racheal Mulandi petitioned the Thika land office to come and put the disputed boundaries in order and put off the smoldering rivalry in the village. He claims that almost 1 ha of his land had been encroached by a neighbor.

The land officials clarified that they had not come to demarcate any land but had come to properly fix boundaries that were being contested.

Later the ACC, Mulandi accompanied local senior chief Francis Kamau Mungai.

Following claims by Kihara that the chief was poking his nose in land issues, the acc said no administrator was supposed to interfere in land matter.

“Only fool who can claim that chiefs are involved in land matters the law is very clear on the roles of administrators”, she said

Kihara had sought to have the contentious parcels of land subdivided to stream line boundaries.

He says that only then, they will resolve their acrimonious war of sub dividing their piece of land of 2.6acres with his younger brother James Mburu Kihara.

Kihara dismissed Mburu claims that he wanted to secretly sell the land.

After a hot tempered discussion it was agreed that all parties meet at Thika land office on February 26, to be shown the scale map and land registration status before going on the ground to erect boundary beacon.

Even after the meeting, police had to force the warring parties to disperse as they wanted to engage in cock fight.