- Speaking at a consultative forum held by the National Land Commission (NLC), residents raised concerns about compensation for assets on the affected land, including coffee bushes that provide an economic lifeline for thousands of families.
Residents of North Mugirango have called for fair valuation of
their land earmarked for acquisition for the construction of the Narok–Kisumu
Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) line.
Speaking at a consultative forum held by the National Land
Commission (NLC), residents raised concerns about compensation for assets on
the affected land, including coffee bushes that provide an economic lifeline
for thousands of families.
NLC representatives are expected to begin valuing the land on
Monday, after which legitimate landowners will be registered and queued for
compensation.
Phase 2B of the 264-kilometre railway line runs through Narok,
Bomet, Kericho, Nyamira and Kisumu counties, with an eight-kilometre link
connecting the line to Kisumu Port.
“Sisi hatutaki kusimamisha maendeleo ya serikali vile
wameamua. Si walisema ni compulsory land acquisition? Sisi tulikubali wakati
huyu jamaa alinielezea vile itakuwa. Tulikubali tuhamie pahali pengine, lakini
watupe muda ya kuhama," said a resident, Alex Onchong’a
Another resident, Lucy Ogero, added: "Nikaona wakiweka
alama ya kuchukua, sasa nyumba yangu yote tatu imeenda yote. Sasa nasema
nakubali tu, lakini sasa nakubali yenyewe watupe. Hiyo ni maendeleo yanakuja
kwetu, sasa naomba serikali inipatie pesa wakati nasonga, wanipatie pesa nitoke
hapo.”
“Reli mahali inapita kwa shamba yangu, kahawa yangu ambayo
ninapata pesa kwa kila mwaka, sasa wamechukua hiyo kahawa yote. Sasa ndio
nasema ya kwamba siku ya leo, vile tumeelimishwa ya kwamba tutakuja kuwa
compensated kwa mashamba zetu pamoja na mimea, ninafurahia sana,"
said Johnson Okenye.