The National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK), Embu Branch is calling for the government to fast track search of land for settling evictees of Makima land.
Bishop Njeru Nyaga, Embu NCCK Chairman gave a statement seeking the government’s help to the resident, He explained that residents were inhumanly evicted from the land and are currently crowded in nearby primary school where they are being sheltered.
The council further noted as soon as the schools reopen next week the evictees will be left with no place to go if the government would not have provided them with an alternative place for settlement.
“We are calling for the government to fast track and resolve the contentious Makima land to avoid further land conflicts in the area in the future,” said the bishop who also oversees the National Independent Church of Africa (NICA) in Embu.
Eviction saga
The evictees are sheltered at Ndunguni Primary School were evicted from Mbondoni area in Makima two weeks ago which Tana and Athi Rivers Development Authority (TARDA) claims to own. The residents claim they have lived in the area for many years which they claim as their ancestral land because they have no other place to go and have buried their people there.
They said they gave the land for construction of Masinga dam but were not compensated and their settlement is being eyed by TARDA. The residents have challenged TARDA to prepare and present the list of those who were compensated for the land they claim to own, wondering how 10, 000 acres out of 54, 000 acres in Makima Ward was acquired by the authority.
