Post by reporter911 on Nov 8, 2012 22:15:55 GMT 3
WHAT IS THIS? THERE SOMETHING VERY SINISTER ABOUT THIS POLICE ACTION? SHOCKING! THE FARM HAS ALREADY A DISPUTE IN COURT FILED BY SQUATTERS WHO WERE ON THAT LAND EVEN BEFORE CRITICOS WAS GIVEN BY THE PREVIOUS CORRUPT GOVERNMENT..
About 200 families were left homeless on Thursday after armed police officers invaded their village and burnt down houses for the second day running in Taita Taveta County.
The officers descended on Riata village in Taveta and began setting houses and other properties on fire.
Taveta Police boss Mr Paul Kisang confirmed the incident saying houses were burnt down and 12 people were arrested over what he called illegal settlement on government land.
He said the controversial land was bought by the government after former Taveta MP Mr Basil Criticos defaulted on a bank loan.
"For them to be settled, everyone must keep off the land for it to be sub-divided. That is why we are kicking them out," said Mr Kisang.
The land is part of 15,000 acres inhabited by squatters before the National Bank sold it to Settlement Fund trustee for squatter settlement after the owner defaulted on a Sh20 million loan in 2007.
The piece of land belonged to former Mr Basil Criticos.
The families spent the night in the cold on Wednesday after police invaded their village and set ablaze their houses.
A villager Mr Eslaba Babu said the police raided the village at around 4.30pm on Wednesday where they engaged the villagers in running battles before setting their houses on fire.
"We were caught unawares and could not save anything. However, residents at the scene save a few household items," he said.
Mr Babu said that they were living in fear of more attacks particularly at this time when the elections were drawing closer.
Their fear, he said, was because it is not a particular community doing it but instead it is the police whom are supposed to protect them.
The controversial land was occupied by squatters for many years even before it changed hands from Mr Criticos to the settlement fund trustee in 2007.
The government acquired the land to settle squatters but instead a few individuals have sold it to wealthy personalities.
www.nation.co.ke/News/200+families+in+Taita+Taveta+County+homeless+after+police+raid/-/1056/1615224/-/item/0/-/111fyje/-/index.html
Someone somewhere is trying to organize serious clashes in Kenya before the election 2013.. Tana!! Mombasa! Kisumu! and now Taita Taveta..
Kenyans better wake up and stop this madness...
About 200 families were left homeless on Thursday after armed police officers invaded their village and burnt down houses for the second day running in Taita Taveta County.
The officers descended on Riata village in Taveta and began setting houses and other properties on fire.
Taveta Police boss Mr Paul Kisang confirmed the incident saying houses were burnt down and 12 people were arrested over what he called illegal settlement on government land.
He said the controversial land was bought by the government after former Taveta MP Mr Basil Criticos defaulted on a bank loan.
"For them to be settled, everyone must keep off the land for it to be sub-divided. That is why we are kicking them out," said Mr Kisang.
The land is part of 15,000 acres inhabited by squatters before the National Bank sold it to Settlement Fund trustee for squatter settlement after the owner defaulted on a Sh20 million loan in 2007.
The piece of land belonged to former Mr Basil Criticos.
The families spent the night in the cold on Wednesday after police invaded their village and set ablaze their houses.
A villager Mr Eslaba Babu said the police raided the village at around 4.30pm on Wednesday where they engaged the villagers in running battles before setting their houses on fire.
"We were caught unawares and could not save anything. However, residents at the scene save a few household items," he said.
Mr Babu said that they were living in fear of more attacks particularly at this time when the elections were drawing closer.
Their fear, he said, was because it is not a particular community doing it but instead it is the police whom are supposed to protect them.
The controversial land was occupied by squatters for many years even before it changed hands from Mr Criticos to the settlement fund trustee in 2007.
The government acquired the land to settle squatters but instead a few individuals have sold it to wealthy personalities.
This was happening at a time when the high court had issued orders to restrain the Provincial Administration, Settlement Fund Trustee, Director of Settlement and their agents from surveying, sub dividing, and allocating the land until the petition filed by some 3,000 squatters was heard and determined.
The squatters had sought the court intervention demanding the list of beneficiaries to be published and the criteria of allocation spelt out after some names were deleted from the list and replaced with civil servants, politicians and business people.
Former Wundanyi MP Mr Mwandawiro Mghanga accused the government of instigating ethnic violence at this time when the country is approaching elections.
He said there were many other peaceful ways of solving problems and not through use of violent methods.
At the same time, Coast Land Rights Forum Chairman Mr Haji Mwakio demanded for a disciplinary action against the provincial administration and the police for perpetrating ethnic violence at a time when the country was healing from the 2008 post-election violence.
"It is sad that this time is not communities fighting each other but police fighting peaceful people after orders from powerful politicians," he said.
The squatters had sought the court intervention demanding the list of beneficiaries to be published and the criteria of allocation spelt out after some names were deleted from the list and replaced with civil servants, politicians and business people.
Former Wundanyi MP Mr Mwandawiro Mghanga accused the government of instigating ethnic violence at this time when the country is approaching elections.
He said there were many other peaceful ways of solving problems and not through use of violent methods.
At the same time, Coast Land Rights Forum Chairman Mr Haji Mwakio demanded for a disciplinary action against the provincial administration and the police for perpetrating ethnic violence at a time when the country was healing from the 2008 post-election violence.
"It is sad that this time is not communities fighting each other but police fighting peaceful people after orders from powerful politicians," he said.
www.nation.co.ke/News/200+families+in+Taita+Taveta+County+homeless+after+police+raid/-/1056/1615224/-/item/0/-/111fyje/-/index.html
Someone somewhere is trying to organize serious clashes in Kenya before the election 2013.. Tana!! Mombasa! Kisumu! and now Taita Taveta..
Kenyans better wake up and stop this madness...