Turkana elders want Kenyan government to subdivide oil land

Story by: Daily Nation –

Clan leaders in Turkana want the government to subdivide land in an area where a British company is exploring for oil.

The residents argue that this will avert land disputes in the region, which has seen an influx of land buyers after Tullow Oil announced it had discovered the black gold.

Speaking during a meeting in Biretwa, Kerio valley that was convened by local deputy county commissioner Moses Lilan, they accused “local foreigners” of fencing their ancestral land and selling it.

“These wire mesh fences erected on land inside Rimoi National game reserve are recipe for chaos. Should the government fail to intervene, there will be bloody confrontations,” warned Mr Kipchumba Kibor, a member of Kayoi clan.

Mr Peter Chepkong’a, another representative of the clan asked the State to subdivide the land and issue them with titles.

When the Nation visited the valley, some plots in Keu location were fenced with wire mesh. Mr Lilan warned residents against erecting fences on disputed land and urged them to use elders to resolve disputes.

The warning came as two suspects were arrested after they were found erecting fences on a disputed plot in the area.

Land brokers, who are popularly referred to as local foreigners are reported to be selling plots and farms despite the fact that the land is not demarcated nor does it have titles. Kayoi, Setek and Kamoi clans are fighting for the control of land.