Villages rubbish claims over varsity land grab
A section of Mutomo residents in Gatundu South, Kiambu County have dismissed as false and malicious, claims that the National Land Commission (NLC) is forcefully ejecting them out of their land to pave way for expansion of Mama Ngina University (MNU).
The landowners led by Julius Ng’ang’a, a retired chief who worked at Kimunyu location stated that the government followed due process in acquiring their parcels of land for expansion of the institution whose establishment was conceptualized in 2013 by the late area MP Joseph Ngugi with a view to enhancing quality education.
Speaking at the university’s grounds, Ng’ang’a said the government engaged them in a public participation process and they willingly signed documents consenting NLC to use their plots for the development.
“Recent claims that the government was planning to forcefully evict those with plots within the expansion area are false, malicious and politically instigated. No one is forcing us to vacate our land since we have reached a mutual agreement,” said Ng’ang’a.
The property owners numbering over 180, disputed allegations that the government has schemed to relocate them to Lamu and Rift Valley areas adding that the state had assured them of adequate compensation and that each of them will individually look for alternative settlement.
During Deputy President William Ruto’s tour of the area last Friday, some locals claimed the NLC was about to have them evicted from their ancestral land and asked him to intervene.
Led by Margaret Mubuu they accused government officials of taking them in circles whenever they raised the matter and added that this would lead to exhumation of hundreds of bodies of their departed relatives already buried there.
However, this was disputed by those affected by the university’s expansion, insisting that out of the 186 plot owners, only four had not signed the agreement that has since been published in the Kenya Gazette.
Emma Mbaire, one of the leaders of the group, said the civic by-laws do not allow people to be buried in the quarter-acre plots and those already interred there before the laws came to effect are fewer than five.
“We appreciate the presence of the university in our village since it is going to transform the area and we have no objection to the expansion plans. We have also been involved in public participation meetings contrary to claims to the contrary,” Maire said.
Patrick Ndichu, another affected resident stated that some of those behind the eviction claims are not even affected by expansion of the university as their land is outside the area.
Ndichu, a local businessman stated that establishment of the university is hoped to bring with it social-economic development that will result in creation of jobs and market for their farm produce. The trader, alongside other locals, took issue with locals hurling unpalatable words against Ngina Kenyatta saying they were disrespecting an elderly woman who had sacrificed it all for the country.
The university principal professor James Kung’u pointed out that the establishment of the university will enhance quality learning for citizens across the country besides bringing other developments.
The university whose construction began in 2019 was put up on a 10.3-acre parcel of land which is a government property but the management has been pursuing purchase of forty more acres from locals living adjacent to the facility to complement the existing ones.
The constituent college of Kenyatta University is tucked about 100 metres off Kenyatta Road in Mutomo village, and about 14.5km from Thika Road.
At the far end of the university land is Mutomo Primary School, whose land was hived off to create room for the college.
In a Special Gazette Notice, the NLC sought to, on behalf of the Ministry of Education, acquire land parcels from about 180 households for the expansion of the university.
Some of the locals who claim to be Mau Mau war veterans have, however, adamantly maintained that they will not accept to be relocated saying that leaving their ancestral land and exhuming bodies of their forefathers will be tantamount to attracting curses as they will be contravening their Kikuyu traditions.
