Trouble is brewing over a 50-acre piece of land that has over the years been used as a public cemetery at Gatitu area of Thika Town, Kiambu County.
While three private developers have laid claim to the prime land touching the busy Thika-Garissa highway, sand sellers who have been operating from a section of it have vowed not to let go.
The developers claim that the sand sellers have been illegally, unlawfully and unrightfully entering and depositing sand on the parcel of land and were using it as a yard for selling the sand to third parties.
After moving to court seeking to have the land declared theirs, the developers also successfully managed to acquire orders restraining the sand sellers from operating at the parcel.
It is the eviction notice issued by the developers that has irked people who have been operating on the land and who have vowed to remain put insisting the land belongs to the public and hundreds of deceased persons have been buried in it.
Devastated residents regretted that besides the public being left with no cemetery to bury their loved ones, they only know the place as their workstation and a possible eviction could leave them with nowhere to operate from.
Led by Maina Mundia who is the group’s chairperson, the over 100 sand sellers revealed they started as grave diggers and sellers of sand and concrete to mourners wishing to concrete the graves of their loved ones.
With time, Mundia said they began to assemble building materials which they have been selling to builders.
David Kiguru, a resident who has lived in Thika for over four decades rooted for public participation before the land is taken away by the developers.
Kiguru pleaded with local leaders including governor Kimani Wamatangi and Thika Town MP Alice Ng’ang’a to intervene and resolve the standoff.
Alice Wambui who started a food kiosk at the disputed land in 2017 decried that possible eviction could render them jobless.