This archive report was first published on 13 May 2020.
On Monday, farmers at Kwa Ndung'u Estate in Molo, Nakuru County, woke up to find their crops on 12 acres of land destroyed. The incident has left the farmers demanding answers and questioning the motives behind the destruction.
According to the affected farmers, a row had erupted between residents who have built homes on their parcels and those who have not and are using theirs to plant food crops. The dispute centered on how the land should be utilized, with some residents claiming they were allowed by local administrators to have the crops destroyed to maintain security in the area.
However, the farmers dispute this claim, with one of them, Harun Nyakago, saying, "Which government destroys food to maintain security?" Nyakago, who lost his maize and beans crops, described the destruction as a big blow to his family, as the crops were their only source of food.
Another affected farmer, Josephine Kemuma, a single mother of three, expressed her frustration, saying, "I am a single mother of three and this is the only land I have. I live in a rented house since I have no ability to develop my plot. How will I provide for my children now that they have destroyed the little I had," she lamented.
Area Chief Kennedy Kiago described the act as criminal, saying that no such resolution had been approved by the local administration. He added that authorities are investigating the incident and that the meeting where the plan was hatched was not approved by the local administration.
