Public land grabbers in Migori County put on notice

Land grabbers in Migori County have been given a one month notice to surrender public land in their possession or face the full force of the law.
At the same time, those carrying out mining on government lands in Nyatike and Kuria West sub counties have been ordered to vacate them immediately, according to a notice issued by area County Commissioner Joseph Rotich.
Addressing members of the County Service Delivery Committee at the IFAD hall Thursday, Mr. Rotich directed all the eight Deputy County Commissioners in the region to identify all school lands, road reserves and wetlands that have been encroached on and report to his office in the next seven days.
The directive follows reports that several parcels of land belonging to government institutions have been illegally taken over or are being used by private developers at the expense of the rightful owners.
Rotich said it was time the state repossessed all land set aside for public use in the region and urged the local people to support government officers working towards achieving this for their own benefit.
He also put on notice public servants engaging in corruption with public funds that they would be arrested and prosecuted.
The official said public funds should only be spend on the projects and programmes they are intended for and those denying the public their rights to get the value of such funds by diverting to their pockets must be condemned.
Rotich said the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) was not meeting its annual financial targets partly because of unethical financial games being played by unscrupulous traders engaging in illicit importation of contraband goods in the country.
He said the security apparatus in the region had been put on high alert to deal with those smuggling illicit alcohol and drugs across the porous entries on the Kenya/Tanzania border.
The meeting also criticized the Kenya Power Company for failing to offer up to date services to the public.
“I am disturbed that when you go to Ntimaru or Kegogonga towns you will find many transformers lying idle on the ground yet the region suffers serious power blackouts every day.
If the transformers are faulty then the people should be told why they were procured and for what work,” said Rotich.
By George Agimba