Land prices in Thika have skyrocketed following the construction of the Thika bypass that has opened remote sections.
Due to the prime land near the road, unscrupulous land cartels are defrauding residents and unsuspecting developers of millions of cash.
The cartels first identify the parcels. They then process fake land ownership documents with the help of corrupt land officials. They later sell the parcels to unsuspecting private developers.
The latest target of the land grabbers is a 100 acres owned by Athena Land Buying Company.
They are targeting open spaces, parcels owned by the elderly, plots owned by absentee landlords and parcels owned by Kenyans abroad.
Company chairman Stephen Njoroge, who leads 870 members, said they have been living on the land since 1960 when they acquired the land from the white settlers. At the time, it was a coffee farm.
He said they have lived peacefully on the land until new crucial developments, including tarmacking of roads, the installation of piped water and electricity started.
The Broadway-Kiandutu-Athena-Engen-Kiganjo and Muthaiga road has already been tarmacked. This is a link road to Thika bypass.
Speaking to journalists at the land on Tuesday, Njoroge said the company has issued all its members with title deeds, though not all members have developed their parcels.
“Those who have not settled or developed their parcels are the victims. The notorious grabbers are putting up ‘land for sale’ signs on the parcels. They are causing us nightmares,” Njoroge said.
“We issued title deeds to avoid wrangles like the ones witnessed in other firms like Mboi Kamiti and Kihiu Mwiri. We thought we solved the problems but little did we know that cartels were drooling over our land.”
The chairman urged Lands CS Farida Karoney to intervene and save residents from land grabbers.
He said the region urgently needs a land clinic similar to the one in Ruiru to address issues of land grabbing and land disputes.
“All public spaces, including parcels earmarked for construction of social hall and a market, have been grabbed. We fear that they will now turn to the school land [Athena Primary School],” Njoroge said.
He warned the public against buying land in Athena without first verifying with the office.
Mary Mburu, a Kiganjo Estate resident and a member of the Maasai Village Women Self-help Group, said that her two 40x80 pieces of land are on the verge of being grabbed after she found ‘plot for sale’ sign posts erected. “These people have very strong connections, especially at the lands offices. I fear that they might have forged documents for my two parcels,” she said.
Recently, Lands CAS Gideon Mung’aro toured the area. He said the state is concerned about rising cases of land grabbing in Kiambu county. He singled out Thika, Ruiru and Juja subcounties.
He warned cartels that the clock is ticking and their days are numbered. “It’s just a matter of time before we catch up with them,” Mung’aro said.
The CAS announced transfer of more than 600 officers in land registries in the wake of probe into their role in the theft of public land. He said legal action will be taken against those found culpable.
“We call upon members of the public to avail information that will help us identify the unscrupulous officials who have been working in cahoots with land grabbers,” the CAS said.