Some fellow licensed surveyors have narrated harrowing stories of land grabs targeting their clients. I have had the experience too. Some local newspapers have reported similar accounts. Last year, Africa Uncensored, one of the independent media houses, ran a series of episodes entitled “Title Deals” between September and November, highlighting the wretched plight of some victims. The confidence and daring of the perpetrators shocks. Were it not for the familiar localities such as Karen, Westlands, South B and Thome, the serialized incidents would fit into fictional realm. Government ought to be rattled, and move to stem the trend. Else, impunity will reign, and private land tenure security in Kenya will be greatly undermined. Moreover, government officers themselves may sooner become victims.
Land grabs
The conventional form of land grab in Kenya, and most of Africa, has been standard and predictable. Folks, often with privileged knowledge on land ownership patterns in a jurisdiction, would identify available public or community land then proceed to use executive, political or even business influence to acquire it. This would be done regardless of the designated public purpose, and in contravention of due procedures. It would happen regardless of protests from the target institutions and communities. Enough incidents of this nature have been documented in the “Ndung’u Report” of 2004, among others. Perhaps the establishment and coming into office of the national land commission interrupted this gravy train, making scouting for public and community land for private take riskier. This may have motivated the emerging alternative forms of land grabs.
