Drivers of rampant land conflicts in Kajiado county
Joseph Lokitan a father of 16 from Noompopong village narrates how he sold his entire heritage realising later that the expansive land had diminished
By Larry Lesian
Land conflict is a common phenomenon in Kajiado County. Cases of land owners conned of their property and genuine land buyers conned of their hand earned money is rampant. Multiple sale of town plots has further increased land court litigations that have left property owners in despair.
The existence of expansive undeveloped chunks of land attracts potential clients. The land owners on the other hand are willing to sell the chunks because of the mouthwatering prices offered by the willing buyers.
Joseph Lokitan a father of 16 from Noompopong village narrates how he sold his entire heritage realising later that the expansive land had diminished.
“I had a total of 256 acres of land. I started by selling 30 acres which I considered relatively little compared to what I possessed. Without realizing how the bit-by-bit sales were eating into my property, 13years later, I now own three acres of land. Every time I sold, I ended up not carrying out any development nor any investment because I planned for the next sale. I now live to regret the decision which has subjected me to abject poverty, “says Lokitan.
Olonyokie John from Sholinke village remembers being picked by the Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) officers one sunny Tuesday afternoon over land he had sold over ten years.
“I was just chilling looking after my goats when I saw unfriendly faces alight from a car and told me that I was under arrest for fraud. I was taken to Rongai police station to answer to charges of selling a piece of land to multiple clients. I was shocked and shaken to the core because I had only received money for the land once. It also donned on me that the size of land in question was double of what I received money for. Since I am illiterate, I had purely depended on a young scholar from my village throughout the process from looking for a buyer to receiving money which was in form of cash, “narrates Olonyokie.
Olonyokie narrates his ordeal with pain written on his face saying the legal process was emotionally and financially draining. He explains that learning of an existing bank account registered under his credentials while he has never stepped into a bank.
He says that is how he lost land by compensating two complainants’ additional parcels for him to secure his freedom.
“My illiteracy costed me. I only operated on a trust basis. What pains me more is the fact that my trustee youthful friend had died two years before the case. I did not have a chance to face him over the same nor was there a possibility of him being held accountable,” he narrates.
According to Kajiado County executive committee member (CECM) in charge of Lands and Physical Planning Hamilton Parseina, rogue brokers have turned into a nightmare escalating the rampant land conflicts in the region.
“Rogue brokers have worsened the land woes in Kajiado. Known brokers have devised a new way of operation. They have now formed cartels operating in the most cavalier manner. The cartels have penetrated land offices and colluded with corrupt individuals to facilitate their conman ship games. Unsuspecting potential land buyers purchase air and disputed land. The crafty cartels working in cahoots with others offer similar mouthwatering deals well packaged to convince potential willing buyers who end up losing their money, “says Parseina.
“Most of these cartels sell land at the comfort of high-end hotels. We also have briefcase property selling companies that sell nonexistent plots to clients who are easily conned by the unrealistic offers,” he says.
Parseina says the proximity of Kajiado to the capital city has also been an enabler of the con game.
“Every potential landowner eyes a prime area. Land within satellite towns of our region are prime due to proximity to Nairobi. Everyone wants to invest near the capital,” he says.
The CECM cautions land buyers to carry enough intense due diligence before purchasing a piece of land to avert unending court battles.
“Why purchase a plot or land on offer without even seeing what you are purchasing? Why buy a piece of land way too cheap or at an exorbitant price compared to the market value? When buying family land, you cannot just deal with the man without knowing the family position. I encourage land buyers to carry their own land search. We have genuine land sellers but you cannot tell a genuine person through face value,” he says.
