Members of the Maasai community in Transmara South
Sub-county, Narok County, have declared that they have no conflict with their
Kipsigis neighbours over the disputed 6,300-acre parcel of land located in the
Ongata Barikoi area.
However, they have urged the government to urgently
intervene and resolve the matter to ensure justice for all parties involved.
Speaking under the umbrella of Ongata Barikoi Farmers’
Cooperative Society Limited, the group, led by Chairman Ben Koyianto, affirmed
that while they are at peace with the Kipsigis community, they expect full
respect for the land in question.
Koyianto asserted that the Maasai are the rightful owners of
the land, inherited from their forefathers, and emphasised that they have
successfully defended their ownership rights in court on seven occasions.
“In the presence of their lawyers, we agreed to offer 1,500
acres to the Kipsigis community in exchange for them withdrawing their legal
case. However, if they are not satisfied with the settlement, we reserve the
right to revoke the consent and reclaim the entire land,” said Koyianto.
He further dismissed claims that the land has been sold to
other individuals, stating that the title deed remains in the custody of the
cooperative society.
The chairman clarified that while the Kipsigis community was
indeed allocated land by their forefathers in the Ongata Barrikoi adjudication
section, the contested parcel, Ongata/Moyoi/2, lies within the Moyoi
adjudication section, a distinctly different area.
On his part, vice chairman James Nkonya added that the land
was adjudicated in 1966 by their elders specifically for the cooperative
society, and 113 members subsequently received title deeds.
He reiterated that
the society had legally won the case seven times, including after lodging
formal complaints with various government agencies.
Tensions reportedly escalated on Monday when land officials,
acting on a court order, arrived to demarcate the agreed 1,500 acres.
Violence erupted when locals opposed the process, leading to
the tragic deaths of six people and injuries to several others, including five
police officers.
