Landpurchasers in Mombasa are instructed to make another payment following a legal decision by the National Land Commission regarding a 3,000-acre farm.
In a significant development, the National Land Commission (NLC) has ruled in favour of the Thaathini Development Company Limited, declaring that they legally purchased the farm in 1979. This decision comes after years of dispute and bloody conflicts over the farm's ownership, leading to evictions and the occupation of the farm by at least 40,000 people.
The farm, a 3,000-acre property located in Bamburi, Kisauni, Mombasa County, is currently occupied by the aforementioned individuals. The NLC's verdict was delivered on August 11 this year, following public hearings held in Mombasa County.
The NLC has recommended that the commission's recommendations be implemented through appropriate planning and surveying of the land to regularise ownership. The commission has also ruled that public institutions within the parcels of land at Thaathini should be allocated the land they occupy free of charge.
Indigenous squatters will be allocated a total of 300 acres of land free of charge. However, the commission has not specified the exact amount of land to be allocated to the indigenous squatters, unlike the earlier ruling that they would receive 300 acres free of charge.
The NLC's ruling comes after the squatters exhausted all appeals in the court and eviction orders were issued against them. The state land agency has ruled that non-indigenous individuals who purchased land in Thaathini will have to pay between Sh400,000 and Sh500,000 for each 50 by 100 parcel of land.
The NLC committee consists of Esther Murugi and Tiyah Galgalo, in addition to the original members. The commission held public hearings and visited the disputed parcels as part of its investigation into the matter.
The farm covers three specific locations: Kashani MN/II/360, Gandini MN/II/829, and Maunguja MN/II/546. In 2014, the NLC proposed that the land company allocate 1,000 acres to the squatters to resolve the dispute, but the mediation process collapsed.
The NLC's ruling has not yet been implemented, and the anxiety among land activists and the public remains due to the delay and lack of transparency in the process. The search results do not provide specific information about which institutions within parcels of sovereign land ownership should retain land to keep the occupied areas free of charge.
The NLC has suggested that the determination be adopted by the court as a judgement of the court and that any pending legal proceedings relating to the three parcels of land should be withdrawn. This decision is expected to bring closure to a long-standing dispute and bring stability to the affected areas.
