More than 4,000 Magarini residents have opposed an ongoing surveying process within the salt belt, claiming it was being done in favour of the tycoons owning salt firms.
The farmers from Kanagoni, Garite and Bundasaga claim some surveyors from the national government started surveying the land bordering the salt firms and marked wrong boundaries in areas residents occupy.
They held demonstrations after a meeting planned by the local administration to bring together community members, salt firms and local political leadership was postponed after the surveyors allegedly claimed they had a court matter and could not start.
Led by Mwalimu Yaa, the farmers said they have been living in the area and have developed it and they would not move.
Yaa said they want all the survey work going on to stop immediately.
The more than 4,000 farmers are at risk of losing their land.
Michael Katana, 69, said, “The government should look for means and ways to resolve this problem. We do not want to be called squatters every day.”
Adu MCA Samson Zia said he made a statement in the assembly, seeking land auditing for all salt firms in Magarini to know their acreages and their boundaries.
He said they want to know when the leases of the salt firms will expire.
