After over 40 years of waiting, tens of peasant farmers in Ndabibi area of Naivasha have a reason to smile after they were resettled under the on-going tilting programme by the State.
The move in Tarambete village also saw land set aside for public utility receive title deeds in the joint programme between the Ministry of land and Nakuru county government.
The move was met with song and dance following reports that some politicians and government officers were eyeing prime land that had been set aside for the community facilities.
For years, residents of the centre who had located 40kms from Naivasha town have clashed over land ownership leaving tens injured and property worth thousands of shillings damaged.
According to the chairman of Tarambete-Ndabibi farm, Joseph Mburu, they had undergone untold suffering and intimidation as they sought title deeds for the poor farmers.
He told how senior government officers planned to grab part of the land meant for a school, hospital and a community’s water tank.
“This is a special day for residents of Tarambete as they have received their title deeds and managed to get 17 acres for community land,” he said.
Mburu added that the move would allow the community to construct a school, church and a water tank on the land that was targeted by the encroachers.
“We thank the Ministry of land and the county government for coming in handy in this process which has benefited the poor in this village,” he said.
A surveyor involved in the process, Jane Gituko said that the process started back in the 60s with many of the original owners having died.
She admitted that land disputes in the area had adversely affected development projects adding that the latest move was a major achievement.
“Many of the original owners of this farm have even died and it’s their off springs that will benefit from the land,” she said.
Gituko noted that the office of the land registrar in Naivasha had played a crucial role in the process of sub-division and issuance of the title deeds.
An ECD teacher Vivian Naini said that the issuance of the title deeds paved the way for the county government to construct a school on the land.
This was echoed by beneficiary Geoffrey Mwangi who said that the area would now develop and lock out potential land grabbers who were targeting the public land.