This archive report was first published on 7 January 2020.
Isiolo Residents Demand Revocation of Land Adjudication Notice ¶
Published on January 7, 2020
Members of the Turkana community living in Isiolo have called for the revocation of a legal notice establishing the county as an adjudication area, citing inadequate public participation and concerns over land ownership.
The notice, issued by Land Cabinet Secretary Faridah Karoney in August 2019, has sparked widespread opposition among residents, who argue that the process was not conducted in line with the Community Land Act, 2016.
Residents from Akadeli, Leparua, Ngaremara, Kipsing, Aramach, and Aremiet maintained that they are not opposed to titling but want the process done afresh in line with the Community Land Act, 2016.
Ms Celina Aspital, a resident, questioned the county government's decision to proceed with the adjudication process despite pending court cases, including one filed by residents against the October 2019 eviction by military.
"Why is the county government coming in after the issuance of the notice whereas it was mum when thousands of our people risked being evicted from land claimed by the military at the School of Infantry?" Ms Aspital posed.
Areas excluded from the adjudication are Isiolo Township, Resort City, Lapsset corridor route, Kenya Defence Forces School of Infantry, and national game reserves and holding grounds.
Mr Stephen Lobenyo, a resident, expressed concerns over the protection of disputed land, including that claimed by the military, which continues to create unease among residents who fear they will be ejected from their ancestral land and lose their inheritance to unscrupulous individuals.
"Implementation of the notice will negatively affect us as the Turkana community as thousands of our people living within the disputed land claimed by four KDF camps risk being evicted from the land where they have been living for more than five decades," said Mr Lobenyo.
Isiolo Governor Mohamed Kuti has proposed amending the notice to allow adjudication only in townships and settlement areas while the rest of the land is registered as community land.
