Governor endorses MCAs resolution to revert 5000-acre land to community

Taita Taveta Governor Andrew Mwadime has endorsed the county assembly resolution to revert the vast Mkuki Ranch, whose lease expired in 2020, to the community for settlement of squatters.

The governor said the assembly’s resolution on the disputed 5000-acre land in Mwatate sub county was correct and deserved respect.

In December 2024, the MCAs passed the resolution, kick-starting the process to revert the land back to the people to settle squatters in the region.

However, some MCAs said influential individuals have declared interest in the land and are frustrating the process for their own benefit.

“The MCAs are the representatives of the people and any resolution they make reflects the wishes of the people they represent. The locals want the land back to them and as their governor, I will adhere to the house resolution to have locals settled on their ancestral land,” Mwadime said in an interview on Tuesday.

The MCAs approved the finalised Mkuki Ranch Local Physical Land Use Development Plan, paving the way for the National Land Commission to either revert the land to the county government in trust for the community or determine otherwise.

Mkuki Ranch was among the parcels of land in the country that were categorised as crown lands for the colonialists. However, after independence, the crown lands became government land.

Founding President, the late Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, allocated the land to one Brigadier Cromwell Oliver Mkunguai, on a 45-year lease from January 1, 1975.

The lease of the land LR No 12922 expired on January 1, 2020, and in 2019, the Mkuki community, through the council of elders, objected to NLC’s opposition to renewal of the lease.

As per the Community Land Act, one of the measures that are required to aid the conversion of public land to community land is the preparation of a land use plan.

The Chawia community prepared the local physical and land use development plan (LPDP), which was presented to the House by the Lands committee led by Anisa Mwakio.

According to the Hansard, the assembly unanimously adopted the report. “It is a lengthy process, which must involve the county and national governments before the status of the land is determined,” said a senior NLC official in the region.
The official, however, said the law stipulates whoever owned the land (leaseholder) had the right to seek an extension of the lease.

According to the committee report, the ranch, with approximately 400 people, is now public land, managed by the NLC on behalf of the county government.

“The Chawia community is seeking allocation of the land through conversion of public land to community land per the Land Act Cap 280,” said Mwakio.

Mwakio told the assembly acting Speaker, Anselim Mwadime, that the 10-year-land use plan covers an approximate area of 2,454 hectares for a period of 2024-2034.

The land use plan has established the potential and challenges of developing the natural resources in the ranch, namely land, forests, livestock, water, wildlife, minerals, energy, landscape/scenery, and other capacity to sustain and spur growth and development.

“The proposed LPDP is a proper mix of land uses that are expected to propel the development of the ranch sustainably for settlement, mining, and farming/conservancy areas,” reads the committee recommendations.

Mwakio said the plan contains guidelines and regulations for the existing and proposed land use zones to coordinate the implementation of the plan, which will bring order, harmony, and compatibility to the land uses, since upon approval it shall be mandatory that all the new developments carried out within the land shall conform to the plan’s guidelines.

She told the house that mining is the main economic activity in the ranch which is rich in industrial and precious minerals like Tsavorite, red garnets, green garnets, yellow garnets, ruby, green tourmalines, rhodolites, and kyanites among others.

The opposition legislator noted there are several active mining sites in the ranch that offer employment opportunities to the youth.