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By DANIEL NYASSY, dnyassy@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted Wednesday, September 22 2010 at 17:36
About 400 squatters have taken over a farm at Ziwa la Furunzi in Malindi and subdivided it.
On Wednesday morning, more people were arriving in the area as others felled trees to build houses.
Two people said to have taken over the farm were selling the plots at between Sh3,000 and Sh5,000 each.
However, as the hive of activity intensified in the area, tension continued to mount Wednesday as the owners threatened to ask the police to evict the squatters.
Documents from the ministry of Lands, which the Nation has seen, indicate that the land is registered under Mr Abdalla Salim Bakhshwein, whose family bought the 360 acres on August 9, 1955. They have a title deed, LT 3520. (*360 4000 m2)
Get a court order
“We have tried to resolve the problem for a very long time, even through the courts. We have even given the squatters 60 acres for free and issued them with title deeds so that they can build their own houses,” said a family member.
Area police boss David Kerina confirmed that the family had approached him for help but had been advised to get a court order.
“Some family members were here last Friday and we advised them to get a court order to evict the squatters. They had produced a 14-day order issued in 2009 and we could not act on it,” he said.
A source at DC Arthur Mugira’s office said several meetings had been held between the family and squatters and the issue had been resolved amicably.
“We don’t know what this new madness is all about,” said the source. The Bakhshwein family say the invaders or those selling it were not the genuine squatters but “masqueraders taking advantage of the dispute to make illegal money”.
“We know there are three masterminds behind the scheme to cheat people of their money.
“These are not the genuine squatters. We are asking the police to help,” said a family source, who cannot be named because of his standing in the family hierarchy.
The family warned those buying the land that they would lose their hard-earned cash.
The dispute could spark off violence as the squatters are likely to resist, especially if the police try to forcibly evict them.