The Member of Parliament for Magarini in Kilifi County, Michael Kingi has kicked off a campaign to repossess land occupied by several salt firms in the area.
Kingi said some of the salt firms unscrupulously acquired the land and left hundreds of locals as squatters, and vowed to ensure the land reverts to the rightful owners.
Speaking during a public meeting at Muyu wa Kae area in Adu Ward on Monday, the MP, cited land belonging to Solar Salt Firm which he said was irregularly acquired and should be returned to local residents.
He said that the National Lands Commission (NLC) had investigated the disputed land and found that the investors had grabbed it.
“The NLC recommended that the land be given back to the county government to initiate the process of allocating it to locals and asked concerned officers to revoke the title deed and immediately subdivide the land to the residents,” he said.
The MP asked Kilifi County Lands Executive, Charles Dadu, who was present at the function, to work closely with the National Government with a view to fast-tracking the process.
“I urge you to push for the revocation of the title deed so the land can be adjudicated and allocated to the locals,” he said.
He said he would support the Lands office in case of any challenges, noting that he had already written to the NLC demanding to know why the title deed had not yet been revoked despite the commission having found out the truth about its status.
“We are aware that the term of the commissioners who investigated the matter ended last year, but we have new commissioners in place and I urge them to act expeditiously to give local residents the land which is rightfully theirs,” he said.
He warned the residents of Adu/Kamale area to stop the practice of selling land to tycoons a throw-away prices.
He asked the government to use the register and ensure that only original allottees get land, not influential people and tycoons.
Dadu said the process was done to take over other lands that were grabbed in the county such as Kijipwa in Kilifi south.
”The Chief Lands Registrar shall write to the Kilifi Lands registrar to give him a directive to implement the orders revoking the title deeds,” he said.
In Muyu wa Kae settlement scheme he said the adjudication process begun two years ago but revealed there were delays due to lack of documents.
By Emmanuel Masha
