Church and prison clash over land in Kisumu
By Kepher Otieno, July 28, 2023The Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) Diocese of Maseno South and the Prison authorities are locked in a land tussle after irate youth pulled down a fence erected by the prisoners in protest.
The church leaders woke up to a rude shock on Thursday when they found portion of their land next to St Stephen’s Cathedral fenced.
The prison authorities used prison wardens to go and fence part of the land, they claimed, belonged to them, a similar claim, advanced by the Prison Authorities.
Yesterday, youth from the church and Kodiaga Maximum Prison officials nearly clashed at the site in Mlimani estate.
The church vowed to move to court to stop encroachment on the land, they claimed, they acquired in 1988 from the State.
On Thursday morning, prison staff stormed the site again only to find the parcel fenced pulled down, and was confronted by the leadership of the church before they sped off.
Addressing the press at the site, the Diocese Administrative Secretary Boniface Obondi said the land was transferred to the church by the government 40 years ago.
It was acquired, during the reign of the late Bishop Henry Okulu.
The land in question is where the prison was first established by the colonial administration before it was moved to the present site at Kodiaga in Kisumu West Sub-county.
Obondi said the church had all the transaction documents noting that a re-establishment of the beacons some years back was done when the prison claimed the land.