Residents of Timboni area in Casuarina Malindi sub-county yesterday held a peaceful demonstration protesting against alleged land grabbing by a tycoon who wants to forcefully evict them. Carrying placards and singing songs of justice the residents accused a Malindi tycoon known as Naji Said of allegedly using the police to harass them and evict them from the land. Their placards read ‘Naji Said wachana na shamba yetu’ (Naji Said leave our land ), ‘OCS Wa Malindi anashirikiana na bwenyenye’ (Malindi OCS is colluding with the tycoon) among others in which they claim to be threatened by the tycoon who is using the Malindi police to kick them out of their land.
Ali Muhaso one of the residents who doubles as the spokesman of the Timboni area condemned the injustices being done by the tycoons who want to forcefully evict them from their land. Speaking during the demonstrations he wondered why the tycoons were taking the law into their hands by using force to take over the land which is rightfully theirs. He said the Malindi OCS was allegedly colluding with the tycoon to breach the peace in the area which has been coexisting peacefully.
“We wonder why we are being harassed, houses are demolished and children suffering as there is nowhere to sleep as it has been difficult to do our daily economic activities here,’’ he said. Muhaso said the tycoon was doing injustice to the locals by demolishing their houses leaving them with nowhere to stay. “We are appealing to our leaders from the member of parliament, Governor and even MCAs so that we get justice,’’ he said. Muhaso said they would not leave the area because they were born there and have lived there ever since their childhood.
Contacted for comment, Malindi Sub County Police commander John Kemboi who was newly deployed in the area said he was not aware of the case but promised to make a follow up and brief the media. Kemboi however said if the police were involved there must have been orders from the court, I will follow up the matter and let you know,” he said during an interview in his office.
Changawa Fondo an elderly man who has lived there for decades wondered why they were being harassed by a tycoon who has not been seen all those years. Fondo said he has been living in the land for the past 45 years and wondered why they were being evicted now. “We urge the government to intervene and help us stay peacefully in 0ur land because we have been living here all through,’’ he said. He said their main economic activity is breaking corals and ballast for survival to bring up their families.
Elizabeth Ngumbao another resident said police recently lobbied teargassed and harassed them to move out of the land. She appealed to the government to help them live peacefully as now they are living in fear. Sammy Jembe Ramadhan said it’s unfortunate that tycoons are fighting them using goons to demolish their houses. “Many people still have injuries inflicted by goons hired by the tycoon to demolish the houses where we live,’’ he said. He said the problem began after the tycoon brought a surveyor under the protection of police to survey the land which they have been residing ever since.
Omar Said a resident said the area has been a forest for the last 10 years until recently the developments were witnessed when the tycoon came and claimed to be the owner of the land. “The tycoon recently came at night and begun demolishing houses with goons which has forced people to flee for safety with their young children,’’ he said.
He said one of their own was shot and injured when he tried to resist the tycoon from surveying the land.