Kilifi residents petition Parliament over alleged Illegal land registration

Residents of Mwendo wa Panya Village in Kilifi County have called on Parliament to investigate what they believe to be an unlawful eviction from land that has belonged to their ancestors for over a century.

The community, numbering more than 1,000 people, petitioned the Public Petitions Committee, seeking justice over a land dispute that has left them homeless and struggling to secure their rightful home.

The petition was filed by Kilifi South MP Kenneth Chonga, who presented the matter before the committee.

The land in question, according to the residents, was forcibly taken from them in 2021 after it was registered under the names of three individuals without their consent or knowledge.

The residents assert that they have been subjected to ongoing harassment and pressure to vacate the land, despite it being their ancestral home since its founding in 1908.

MP Chonga informed the committee that Mwendo wa Panya was originally established by Athman Suleiman in the early 20th century, who offered refuge to locals fleeing from slave traders.

"Mwendo wa Panya Village is a pre-colonial settlement established around 1908 by one Athman Suleiman. It reportedly developed into a sanctuary for local people fleeing slave traders," Chonga explained.

Over time, the settlement has grown into a vital community that includes health centers, schools, farmland, and even a cemetery, serving the needs of both present and past generations.

The petition argues that the land, which was entrusted to the villagers by the Athman family upon their return to Oman, was wrongfully registered to Mark Mwaura Mwangi, Charles K. Wanguhu, and John Waweru Mwangi, all of whom are said to have had no connection to the community.

Chonga believes the Ministry of Lands and the National Land Commission are complicit in this illegal land transfer.

"The land in question was entrusted to the residents of Mwendo Wa Panya by the Athman family upon their return to Oman in the early 1900s," Chonga added.

He further claimed that the registration of the land under the names of the three individuals was part of a larger scheme to deprive the residents of their rightful home, facilitated by officials within the Ministry of Lands.

The petition also raises concerns about the lack of title deeds for the villagers, who have never been formally granted ownership despite their long-standing ties to the land.

Nerbert Muriuki, an MP from Mbeere South, questioned why the residents had not yet secured ownership of the land, citing a legal provision that prioritizes squatters who have lived on land for at least 12 years.

"What steps have the displaced individuals taken to secure titles to the land? Where have they been all these years?" Muriuki asked during the committee meeting.

In response, MP Chonga explained that powerful individuals have intentionally obstructed the villagers’ efforts to reclaim their land.

According to him, these individuals, with ties to influential people in the Ministry of Lands, have prevented the community from obtaining official recognition of their land rights.

The committee members, in their discussions, sought more information about the land’s ownership history and requested that the petitioners provide updated details on the current status of the land.

MP Kavai Kagesi, the committee chair, encouraged the petitioner to submit additional documentation to aid in the committee’s investigation.

As the dispute continues to unfold, the Mwendo wa Panya villagers remain hopeful that Parliament will intervene and help them reclaim their ancestral land. For the community, this issue is not just about land ownership, but about preserving their history and identity.