Rift Valley Region Commissioner Mr. George Natembeya has that reiterated the government would issue 1, 200 title deeds in a period of two months in a bid to end the on and off clashes experienced at Nkararu area in Trans Mara West Sub County.
Natembeya who spoke when he visited the volatile area yesterday observed that only 20 acres of land was in dispute and wondered why such a small piece of land would affect thousands of people.
“There is no land for the Siria or Uasin Gishu community. The land belongs to individual owners and that is the reason why we have to ensure every person living in this area has legal documentation of his land,” said Natembeya.
The Regional Commissioner who was accompanied by top security officials from the region wondered why tens of people had to die, hundreds injured and tens of houses touched because of a small piece of land that belonged to only five families.
He directed the land adjudication officials to ascertain the exert boundaries of the land to give proper boundaries and documentation to the residents to avert future crisis.
“We request you to give us only two months and this problem will be resolved once and for all. The government will do anything to resolve the long-standing dispute even if it means buying land for the families with dispute,” reiterated Natembeya.
He condemned the recent killings where a police officer was brutally killed along the road by unknown persons and his body thrown into a sugar plantation.
“The issue of killing people must end now. I swear no one will kill again and just go unpunished. He or she will have to pay dearly,” said Natembeya.
Natembeya also sounded a stern warning to politicians who he alleged could be fueling the fracas saying they would be arrested and prosecuted in court of law.
“We will not allow any single individual to cause tension in this area for his own good. Whom do you think you are, you kill people to get fame? We are coming for you and will ensure you will not be elected again,” said an angry Natembeya.
On his part, a commissioner with National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) Dr. Danvas Makori, lauded the multi- agency approach in resolving the dispute in a bid to establish a long term solution.
The two warring Maasai clans of Uasin Gishu and Siria have had a long-standing dispute over land boundary that has run for over 40 years.
Vast land in Trans Mara area has rich soil in addition to rainfall where sugarcane, maize, beans and other cash crops grow well as well as gold mining activity in some areas, which makes land an emotive issue.
By Ann Salaton
