The story of a 2,500-acre plot of land in Ruiru, Kiambu County, has taken a new turn since Lands Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome disclosed that some individuals had forged documents to obtain a desirable parcel of land.
After a furor from Gikumari village residents and local leaders, the CS addressed the issue for the first time. They stated that the land known as Ruiru East Block 4 belonged to the occupants and refuted rumors that the government was trying to force them out to construct a housing project.
A seasoned attorney, Wahome, requested that the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) look into the case and bring charges against the plotters.
“I am telling those who were behind the move to grab the 2,550-acre parcel of land to forget about it for the land belongs to the title deed holders. I saw a woman who was featured on news channels crying that they were told their titles are fake. Your ownership documents are genuine," she told journalists.
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"I want to believe our officers here were falling prey to some fraudsters. I ask the DCI Ruiru to swing into action and bring to book those involved. The security officers should also be withdrawn with immediate effect," she added.
Simon King'ara, a member of parliament from Ruiru who accompanied the CS, praised her for attending to the concerns of the Gikumari residents, who had been sleeping through the night for fear of being evicted during the Christmas and New Year celebrations.
"I cannot allow people from nowhere to come and disturb the peace that we have been enjoying in Ruiru, we will move to any office to protect our land. I also have a piece of land in that area," he told the media.
The land in the Ruiru sub-county's Gikumari area crosses the Eastern Bypass and Juja Farm, where the locals claim to have lived for more than 40 years after purchasing it from a colonial settler.
