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from ouko joachim omolo
BY FR JOACHIM OMOLO OUKO, AJ
NAKURU-KENYA
MONDAY, AUGUST 22, 2011
NAKURU WORKSHOP TAKE-5
Blessed John Paul II Evangelizing Parish Teams concluded its annual national workshop here in Nakuru with a hot debate on land crisis and grabbing in Kenya. Apart from land crisis, Nakuru County is considered a political hot bed considering its past experiences of ethnic tensions.
The county is in Rift Valley covering six constituencies: Nakuru Town, Subukia, Molo, Naivasha, Rongai and Kuresoi. Although Nakuru County is cosmopolitan with members of other ethnic communities like Luhya, Gusii, Luo, Kamba, Maasai, and Turkana also having permanent residences in the region, members of the Kikuyu ethnic community are the majority.
Practically all the constituencies in the region are manned by members of the Gikuyu communities even as a matter of fact Nakuru could be strictly owned by Kalenjin communities. John Mututho is the MP for Naivasha, Joseph Kiuna (Molo), Lee Kinyanjui (Nakuru Town), and Nelson Gaichuhie (Subukia).
When chaos erupted in the Rift Valley shortly after the controversial 2007 Presidential vote tally, the land question became the bone of contention. Kalenjins believe the Kikuyu’s in the rift valley stole their ancestral land from them, that is why whenever there is electoral violence the Kikuyus are the main target in Rift Valley.
The Kalenjins believe that when the Kikuyu’s leave, that land will then be re-distributed to them for free. It explains why the 2007 electoral violence Kikuyus in the Rift Valley were the target. In Eldoret alone 15 people Kikuyus were burned to death as they were seeking refuge in a church.
William Samoei Arap Ruto has been alleged by ICC as the man behind Eldoret killings. Ruto is believed to be a Kipsigis whose father had sold off their family land and migrated to Eldoret, a Nandi-occupied area in Uasin Gishu.
In Nakuru County, Kuresoi remains the most volatile area. Apart from Kikuyu communities others who live in Kuresoi are Luos, Kisiis, and luhyas among others. They have been nicknamed ‘madowa dowa’ (spots) unwanted by the Kalenjin who are the natives there.
In Rongai alone the Kenyatta family owns 1,171 acres at Gicheha farm. The Kenyatta Government has always been accused of grabbing land, not only in Nakuru and other regions in the Rift Valley but also almost every region in Kenya.
It explains why the land problem was compounded by politicians who failed to make right land policies to correct the wrongs inherited from colonialists and escalated by the Kenyatta Government.
It confirms the BBC interview where Uhuru Kenyatta was asked if he would support the proposed land reforms in Kenya being the son of the first President. Even though his answer was yes, he declined to declare how much he owns, saying: “That is not a question I will answer. It is not that I don’t want to tell you; it is only that I do not need to tell you. I don’t need to sit on a BBC (interview) and say this is what I have or don’t have.”
It explains further why Kenya has not had a single and clearly defined National Land Policy since independence. It again explains why May 2007 draft National Land Policy published following widespread participation of stakeholders and the policy presented before Parliament of approval in 2009 never materialized.
That is also why according to the commission of inquiry chaired by Mr Paul Ndung’u, which was also known as the Ndung’u commission, recommendation that the government should repossess all illegally acquired land has never been implemented.
In Nakuru, several politically connected individuals have acquired many acres of prime land within the town alone- they include lawyer Mutula Kilonzo, who owns an 800-acre farm for dairy farming. The immediate former Auditor General, D. G. Njoroge, owns 500 acres, while Biwott’s Canadian son-in-law & coowner of Safaricom (Mobitelea) a Mr. Charles Field-Marsham, a 100- acre piece where he is growing roses.
In Molo the former powerful minister in Kiaki government, Njenga Karume owns 20,000 acres where he is growing tea, coffee, pyrethrum and potatoes and 16,000 acres in Naivasha.
Historically the land related ethnic clashes in the Rift Valley Province started on October 29, 1991, at a farm known as Miteitei, situated in the heart of Tindreret Division, in Nandi District, pitting the Nandi against the Kikuyu, Kamba, Luhya, Kisii and the Luo.
Later in early 1992, the clashes spread to Molo, Olenguene, Londiani and other parts of Kericho, Trans Nzoia, Uashin Gishu and many other parts of Rift Valley. In 993 the clashes spread to Enoosupukia, Naivashs and parts of Narok and the Trans Mara Districts which together then formed the greater Narok before the Trans-Mara was hived out of it, and to Gucha District in Nyanza Province.
In These areas the Kipsigis and the Maasai were pitted against the Kikuyu, the Kisii, Kamba, Luhya among other ethnic communities. These clashes according to Akiwumi report revived in Laikipia and Njoro in 1998, pitting the Samburu. In each clash area, non-Kalenjin or Maasai were attacked.
The causes of clashes have been given as conflict over land, cattle rustling and political differences based on ethnic and parties. In Rift Valley it was between Moi-Kanu and Kibaki-DP parties.
People for Peace in Africa (PPA)
P O Box 14877
Nairobi
00800, Westlands
Kenya
Tel +254-7350-14559/+254-722-623-578
E-mail- ppa@africaonline.co.ke
omolo.ouko@gmail.com
Website: www.peopleforpeaceafrica.org