Squatters of Mithiini in Makuyu, Lower Murang’a have been living in fear of being attacked and evicted from the land which they have called home for over six decades.

Squatters claim that people who want to grab their land have been reigning terror on them as they try to push them out of the land.

The investors who are evening the land are said to be colluding with the administration officers from the area and the latter are using their authority to harass and intimidate the residents.

Peter Wainaina Mwangi, a 73-year-old man said he barely sleeps at his home fearing attacks from people interested in taking his five acres piece of land.

“I was born in this area, this has been my home and I have nowhere else to go if I am evicted,” he remarked.

Loss of teeth

Wainaina said he has on several occasions been assaulted leading to the loss of his teeth and other physical injuries but efforts to seek justice have always been futile.

He claims to have received death threats from the persons interested with his land

“Last December, the area chief came to my land with a surveyor to put beacons and when I asked him if he had a court order he told me he has the absolute authority to do whatever he pleases,” said Wainaina.

 “We are pleading with the government to intervene and give us the tilted deeds so that we can be recognized as the bonafide owners of this land,” he added.

Munyori Kinyenje another squatter said he wanted to build a house on his parcel of land but another person appeared claiming to be the legitimate owner of the land.

He said it came as a surprise to him because the land was left to him by his father about 50 years ago.

Fake title deed

Kinyenje said the purported owner came with a fake title deed which he had obtained through fraudulent means with assistance from the administration officers.

He said the land is still under the custody of the government after it was surrendered back to it by the white settlers back in the 60’s.

“We are seeking justice and the government should address this matter with urgency because there are people who are suffering and others have been killed in the fight for this land,” said Kinyenje.

Elizabeth Mukami has also fallen victim of violence by the administration officers who brought people to their family land in an attempt to evict them.

Mukami said her 80 years old father has no strength to fight for the land and she is constantly fighting the grabbers in a bid to protect their land.

She said there is no one in the area who has a title deed which raises the question where the claiming to the real owners got the documents from.

 Documents from the land registry in Murang’a indicate that 32,000 hectares of land was surrendered to the government back in 1958 and has never been subdivided.

The 1500 households who have been living as squatters have pegged their hope in the government to permanently settle them on the land by giving them the title deeds.