Kerio Valley Development Authority KVDA Has Been Accused of Land Grabbing in Pokot

By Benson Aswani,

Residents of Katilisha village, Kapchok ward in West Pokot County are living in fear following what they claim as plans to take away their land by the Kerio Valley Development Authority (KVDA).

The residents led by Joseph Lotukotum, stated that the people who claimed to be from KVDA arrived at the area on Sunday and started marking the land which residents say has been their home for many years.

“They erected these beacons here claiming that they want to drill water, now we wonder how they will drill water in someone’s farm. Our request is that they should not try to take our fields,” said Lotukotum.

Meanwhile this is a move that has been strongly condemned by Kapchok ward member of county assembly Peter Lokor who claimed that KVDA is aiming at seizing the residents’ land without following the legal procedures.

In addition Lokor asked the residents to be firm and not to allow the confiscation of their land.

“KVDA wants to take away the residents’ land, I want to urge our people not to allow any move that will lead to their land being grabbed,” said Mr. Lokor.

However, the managing director of KVDA, Sammy Naporos, has denied claims that there are plans to grab the land, saying that what was being done was to locate the beacons that were erected 30 years ago when Turkwel Dam was being constructed.

“We do not have any plans of grabbing land. What our officers were doing was only to assess and identify the beacons that were erected 30 years ago when Turkwel Dam was being constructed,” said Mr. Naporos.

He apologized for the trouble caused by the KVDA officers, promising to visit the area next week together with the county commissioner, to shed more light to locals regarding the activities that were being carried out by the officers.

“We apologize for any trouble caused. I will personally visit the area together with the county commissioner to shed more light to locals regarding the exercise that was carried out by our officers,” he said.