Mbere South residents reveal plan to boycott chief’s meetings over bias on land disputes

By , K24 Digital
On Wed, 30 Jun, 2021 18:27 | 2 mins read
Residents want chief to stop calling meetings. PHOTO K24 Digital.

Residents of Makima Location in Mbeere South Subcounty want their chief Charles Ngari to stop holding meetings aimed at discussing a disputed land in the area.

Speaking in a meeting that the chief had summoned to address matters concerning education and title deeds, residents told the chief that he has no mandate to discuss such matters.

The chief was accused of bias and being selective in his meetings claiming that he only summon close confidants who will approve all his suggestions without poking holes in them.

Joseph Muinduko a local from Bondoni said it was out of order for the chief to call a section of people to discuss matters of title deeds in secret urging that the chief should come out and announce his interest on matters concerning land in the area.

"You cannot just wake up and call a meeting to come and discuss titles when all people are not involved, that I a play and plan to rob people their rights and property," said Muinduko.

Johnstone Mutua a resident of Malamuni in Makima said the chief should not be biased when calling for meetings and instead urged him to involve everybody.

He said issues of land in Mbeere South is a thorny issue and when few people are engaged in its discussion it creates fear and panic among other locals.

"We must be one thing, we cannot allow partial involvement in matters land in our area because they are issues which should be discussed by everybody.

“All those are being called secretly to engage in matters of land in this area should ignore the calling," said Mutua.

Makima ward Member of County assembly Philip Nzangi who addressed the locals after the chief's meeting urged the government to ensure equity and transparency on land issues in the area

He said no one is opposing title deeds in Makima, but what they are pushing for is an overhaul of the beneficiaries of a piece of land in the area.

"No one is blocking locals from getting title deeds what we want is transparency on verification of how the disputed lands are in the area because that is the law," said Nzangi.

Makima location chief Charles Ngari said that the meeting he had called was to discuss issues of title deeds for holders of 10 acres of land which have no disputes and education and when he realised that many locals were aware of the meeting, he called it off so that he does not break covid 19 protocols.

Locals in Mbeere South have been leaving in panic for lack of title deeds for their land.

The residents have been blaming some government officials for what they say were colluding to rob them of their land.

They have been calling the government to ensure fairness in the issuance of title deeds in disputed land in their area.