This archive report was first published on 14 October 2019.
Land grabbers in Machakos County are posing a serious threat to livestock research in Kenya, according to the director general of the International Livestock Research Institute (Ilri), Jimmy Smith.
Speaking at Ilri headquarters in Nairobi, Smith revealed that numerous groups have invaded the organisation's land in Kapiti, Machakos County, and are subdividing and selling it to unsuspecting members of the public.
The groups, backed by some politicians, have built structures inside the facility, disrupting the operations of the global research institution headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya.
“Over the past few months, illegal attempts to grab the land have escalated at Kapiti research station. Cartels have started trespassing and building structures there. No land at Kapiti is for sale,” warned Smith.
The presence of the illegal occupants has affected livestock research at the facility, with Smith stating that the ongoing lawlessness risks disrupting or stopping important long-term livestock research, thereby threatening the future of hundreds of millions of livestock producers across Kenya, Africa, and Asia.
Approximately 80 Ilri employees, living with their families in Kapiti, as well as international scientists who conduct experiments in the facility, have been threatened with violence by the trespassers.
Ilri's land in Kapiti measures 32,000 acres, and the situation has been aggravated by the involvement of some politicians.
For More of This and Other Stories, Grab Your Copy of the Standard Newspaper.
