Twenty-six Maasai herders who were arrested for grazing in a
government land in Ngong have been released following the intervention from local leaders.
"We released them after they assured us they will not put up structures on the land nor raze on it. The same was also confirmed by their elected leaders that the herders must respect private property,” a senior police officer told the Star on Sunday.
The 26 Maasai herders, among them two minors, were rounded up at the Ngong Veterinary land, which is used by the veterinary department for research on livestock.
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The Saturday's arrest was one of the many that local police have carried out on the 1, 850 care-land belonging to the government.
Kajiado Senator Philip Mpaayie said he had to intervene and seek the release of the herders, who he admitted had committed an offence in constructing structures on the land.
“We all agreed those boys made a mistake, but was also wrong for the police to arrest and detain them without looking at the history of that controversial land,” Mpaayei said.
The Senator claimed the farm has become a centre of attraction for land cartels from Kajiado and Nairobi who push the manager to order the arrest of ‘innocent’ herders.
But the farm manager, Philip Kiok, on Sunday told the Star he has nothing to negotiate with herders or the local community over the land.
“This land is a government property and even with the rumours that it may reverse it to the local people, the fact remains this is a research institution which must be protected,”
Kiok
said.
Kiok further claimed he reported the matter to the police after the herders, mainly from the Keek-Onyokie Maasai invaded the land.
“I fear for my life here and I have reported so to the police. Even the lives of our workers are at risk because those invasions have become regular,” claimed Kiok.
The Kajiado West Keek-Onyokie Maasai have laid claim on the more than 1, 800 acres of land that was handed to the government in the early 1950s for purposes of improving local livestock.
On the other hand, the Kaputiei Maasai from Kajiado East claim
the
land is their own because it is their chief who, during the colonial era, handed over the farm to the government.