The residents of Shauri Estate have petitioned Uasin Gishu Assembly regarding possible land grabbing from public access roads.
He expressed discontent on the alleged approvals by some county officials that allowed construction on the disputed land while in fact critical infrastructure regions such as water pipelines and power lines exist there.
Shauri Estate Residence. Photo/Courtesy
By Ruth Sang
The residents of Shauri Estate, Uasin Gishu County, have officially presented a petition at the County Assembly regarding possible illegal grabbing of public access roads and community spaces that have served the area for over sixty years.
According to the residents, the controversial parcel of land has historically acted as an important access route leading to essentials such as the police station, health facilities, and schools both in and outside the estate. Recently, attempts by certain individuals to fence off the land purporting it to be private property have considerably disrupted movement besides posing an increased risk on safety especially when calling for health services and during flooding.
Speaking for one of the affected families, long-time resident John Karuga said the argument had brought neighbours, who have peacefully coexisted for generations, to a strain in their relationship with one another. He indicated that it was more painful here because the contending parties were members of the same community. Karuga insisted that the access road has been there for decades, without ever being planned for private ownership.
Francis Kanyugi, a resident of the estate, traced the genesis of Shauri Estate to the early 1960s, explaining that the land was developed and bought collectively by elders under a defined layout plan. According to Kanyugi, the planners set aside space purposely for common public utilities and access roads serving present and future residents. He further maintained that no individual was allocated more than one plot; thereby, current claims over communal space become dubious.
Denying the fact has economic effects on the area, particularly the boda boda transport services which rely on the access road to operate properly. For haulage, Clement Ochieng, Shauri Boda Boda chairman, regarded the road as the lifeline of the community. For him, the road is mostly used to ferry ill residents, including expectant mothers, to health facilities. He, therefore, warned that blocking this route puts lives at risk because of a delay in emergency response.
More than just transport, residents say this land has long been a communal space for everyone. Nancy Waitherero, who was born and raised in Shauri Estate, recounted that this area was previously a playground for children and a meeting point for residents. In noting that schoolchildren still use that path as a shortcut, she mentioned that its blockage has altered the daily routines of many families.
The petition has been officially lodged before the Uasin Gishu County Assembly through the area Member of County Assembly (MCA), who confirmed receiving and assured citizens that the matter would go through legal and administrative scrutiny. The MCA notes that public land, especially gazetted access roads, cannot be lawfully converted into private property, terming any documents suggesting otherwise as invalid from the outset.
He expressed discontent on the alleged approvals by some county officials that allowed construction on the disputed land while in fact critical infrastructure regions such as water pipelines and power lines exist there. Such approvals, according to the MCA, indicate a big gap in accountability within the county executive and place the community under serious risks.
At the county level, residents are urging the courts and security agencies to intervene immediately and stop further construction while providing full access to the road. Their petition is not borne of enmity but in a desire to protect public land, enhance public security, and maintain the long-standing peaceful coexistence existent in Shauri Estate.
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