By Ben Leshau
Some members of Morijo group ranch in Narok South have alleged lack of transparency in the ongoing demarcation of the ranch.
Led by Shadrack Kiok, Leshan Kanunga and Moses Kisaika, the group claimed they had been kept in the dark over the land sub-division exercise that started November last year.
“We are in support of the sub-division of the group ranch but as legitimate members we feel sidelined in the whole exercise,” lamented Kiok.
He said group ranch committee
officials created some by-laws that were to be applied in the exercise but
members have never seen them
He raised concern over failure by committee officials to make the member’s
register public for them to vet legitimate and the illegitimate members.
“We feel the register has been manipulated and new members sneaked in behind
our backs. We need transparency in this crucial exercise,” said Kiok.
The members now want the lands ministry to demarcate the group ranch’s boundaries
bordering Naroosura, Kanunga and Osupuko group ranches because Morijo
members do not know the exact boundary.
“We fear that the hiding of information on matters such as the acreage, number
of members and boundaries by officials in collusion with some rogue lands officers
poses danger,” said Kanunga.
They said adjudication of Morijo ranch was declared 10 years ago but the
demarcation only began last year.
They intimated that the corrupt committee members were allegedly bribed to
enter names of outsiders into the group ranch’s membership register.
They now fear that genuine members
might lose huge tracks of land to land cartels.
“We shall never relent in fighting for transparency in the exercise. If we fail
to fight for our rights, we shall end up with less than 10 acres of land and
our generations will be rendered landless,” added Kiok.
Efforts by County Press to reach the group ranch’s committee Chairman Mr Malano
Seigura proved futile as his phone was off.