Shauri Estate Residents Demonstrate After A Church and Polytechnic Land Was Grabbed
A section of Shauri Estate in Huruma ward, Uasin Gishu County, demonstrated against attempts by three known individuals bent on grabbing a two-acre piece of land belonging to the IPHC church and a children’s home.
Led by Bishop Daniel Kwatuha of the International Pentecostal Holiness Church, the community claims influential individuals working with a cohort with some of the Uasin Gishu County government officers under the Ministry of Lands, were tirelessly working hard to grab the parcel of Land that has been owned by the Church for the last 23 years.
“The IPHC Children’s home was opened in the year 2006 and in 2007 it hosted many street children and those that had lost their parents as a result of the 2007 Post-election violence, as a church we were in the process of constructing a Vocational institute to help not only our children but the community within here with basic vocational skills,” said Bishop Kwatuha.
He said while fencing the piece of land was stopped by County askaris who said that they did not follow the law and that the CEC lands have said they stop the project.
“We obtained an approved plan to construct a fence around the church property, unfortunately, County askaris under the directives from the CEC Lands in Uasin Gishu took away the approved plan purportedly saying the land was disputed, immediately thereafter goons arrived and tried to fence off portions of the land into plots, we have every reason to believe the grabbers are working in cohort with some rogue county officers,” he noted.
“We are saddened by the event where some people came and subdivided the land amongst themselves to put rental houses. This is uncalled for and ill-intended and I urge the government to remove them since they are calling themselves untouchables,” he added.Apostle Ndegwa the son to bishop Isaac Ndegwa noted despite their sitting on the land for over 25 years some individuals have subdivided the farm.
“Off late there are some people who have come and subdivided alleging that it belongs to them which is not the case. We want Governor Jonathan Bii to intervene for us to continue with our project of building a polytechnic. We stand by the truth and if followed from 1992 until today, we have been paying rates on the same which shows it’s our farm,” said.
Miriam Wanjiru says “The plot belongs to the church and we will not allow anyone to take it away from the church,” he said.
Huruma ward MCA Kimani Wanjohi has called out three individuals led by a former Personal Assistant to an MCA in the said ward, and some other two shrewd business people believed to be hatching a plot to grab two-acre piece of land,
“In the past government, the land was being stolen right left, and center but I will defend you to the latter. How can someone of sober mind subdivide land meant for the construction of a polytechnic to build rentals? This is uncalled and won’t allow it to happen,” he said.
“If you did not steal land before I came don’t think you can still while I am the MCA, those who want to steal let them come in broad daylight. The church has stayed on this farm for over 23 years.
and for all those years you haven’t raised concern that your farm is stolen why now,” he added.
He alleged that former MCA Personal assistants Harun Maina, Njuguna Mukanjo, and Mboro are behind the land-grabbing syndicate.
“We will ensure that the farm is fenced and I will lead the process myself for hundreds of children to get a place where they will live and for the community to benefit from a polytechnic which will help students,” he said.
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