Cecilia Njeri Mbugua, one of the 300 surviving members of the Wareng/Nyakinyua dance troupe in Uasin Gishu County is pleading with President Uhuru Kenyatta to help them get title deeds for their prime 80 acres of land located in Kapseret Sub-county, Uasin-Gishu county.
The 105-year-old who has been living in Burnt Forest area hoped to return back to her land in Eldoret after they were evicted in the 1992 tribal clashes.
The tribal clashes forced many Wareng/Nyakinyua dancers to flee their land which has since been grabbed.
"I have seen President Uhuru Kenyatta issue out title deeds across the country. Since he has less than one month in office, I beg him to issue us with the title deeds that we have waited for the last 50 years," Mbugua said.
Mbugua who is in her sunset days also noted that they collectively bought the land as members of Nyakinyua from proceeds they got from singing for the founding President Jomo Kenyatta.
She added that despite the fact that they have a legitimate title deed, they have been denied their right to develop the land.
"We have a mother title to the parcel of land which we have completed subdivision into over 400 plots and this process has been delayed at the Ministry of Lands," Mbugua added.
A few Kilometres from Mbugua's home is Esther Wanjiku, an 84-year-old surviving member of Wareng /Nyakinyua Dancers.
Wanjiku, who lives in a rented house is facing eviction over rent arrears that she can't pay since her ailing body has forced her to be indoors throughout, and has no strength left to carry out the daily manual chores to raise enough money.
"I am weak I have to stay indoors, my children can only feed me. I am unable to raise enough money to pay the rent any time now I may be forced out of this place. I have land that we bought in Eldoret years ago, but we can't access it, it is not helping me and I plead with president Uhuru to accord us just this one wish -give us out title deeds," Wanjiku pleaded.
Jecinta Muthoni Mundia who is also a member of the Wareng/Nyakinyua troupe says they have walked in and out of every government office in pursuit of their rights to land ownership all in vain as influential people and politicians continue to use their political influence and money to deny them of the rights.
The various government agencies including the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have carried out extensive investigations over the grabbing of the Wareng /Nyakinyua land, a report that has been tabled before the Land Principal Secretary Dr Nicholas Muraguri who is expected to order the release of the title deeds to the subdivided plots.
