Squatters claim settler offered KDF land to them – Uasin Gishu County


Squatters occupying the disputed Leseru Teberon farm (20 Km from Eldoret Town) have staked their claim based on a will written by a European settler before he died. The squatters, appearing before the National Lands Commission (NLC), said they had paid Sh24.7 million to the Ministry of Lands after being issued with a letter of allotment in 2005.

The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) has also claimed ownership of the land, LR No. 11039, which was sub-divided to LR No. 27206/3 and LR No. 27206/4. KDF says it has not surrendered the land to anyone. The military claims that the title deeds possessed by the squatters were fraudulently acquired.

The squatters told NLC vice- chairperson Abigael Mbagaya on Wednesday that the European settler, Alexander Douglas, of Lewa Downs Ltd, wrote the will on December 19, 1979 appointing Noel Amatasi Lijina the sole executor of his will.

The squatters brief indicated that the government compulsorily acquired part of the land for use by the Department of Defence, which was issued with two titles. The remainder, they said, was allotted to the squatters.

Lease documents show that the group was given a 99-year lease starting January 1, 2006 after paying Sh12.75 million in premiums. Leseru Teberon was to part with Sh318,860 annually in land rates.

[Article source: The Daily Nation, by Stella Cherono]


LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here