The MAU MAU family remnants who were evicted from their ancestral land by the British settlers in Buuri sub county in Meru county have appealed to President Ruto to ensure that they are resettled back in their land.
Led by the Meru Cultural Centre Ambassador Ms Favoured Gakii and Chairman Robert Kinyua they said the evicted families are suffering a lot with many being rendered squatters while others can’t provide food for their families.
They regretted that many are traumatised and suffer from both mental and emotional stress owing to the deplorable conditions they are living in.
Speaking in Meru town shortly after a case ruling they had filed at a Meru court, Gakii appealed to both President William Ruto and his deputy Gachagua to urgently intervene on the issue and ensure that the MAU MAU descendants gets justice by being immediately resettled in their ancestral land.
She called on President Ruto to find time and listen to MAU MAU families who have been suffered for a long time.
“Am appealing to our able President Ruto and his deputy to urgently intervene and ensure that justice prevails by resettling the MAU MAU remnants in their ancestral land. I call upon DP Gachagua who is also a MAU MAU remnants to intervene personally and ensure that the land gets back to the rightful owners,” said Gakii.
The disputed land measures about 600,000 acres and is located in Buuri sub county in Meru County.
She said many MAU MAU families in Kenya are experiencing a lot of problems with many living in abject poverty and unable to get basic necessities like food,shelter and clothing.
“Many MAU MAU families are suffering a lot of trauma because they are unable to pay for their daily necessities due to financial instability with many not knowing where their next meal will come from.
We are emotionally and mentally strained. Our grand parents died fighting for the land yet we have nothing to show for their sacrifices,” said Gakii.
She said unless the government comes to their rescue all the MAU MAU remnants will perish.
She vowed to continue fighting for the rights of the MAU MAU descendants until they get their rights including filing the case at the Supreme court and the ICC.
“We shall not sit down idly and watch the MAU MAU remnants perish helplessly. Such a thing could lead to whipping out of all evidence. We shall fight for our rights to the bitter end,” said Gakii.
She said the land leash expired and should not be renewed.
The Meru Cultural Centre Chairman noted that the case was filed in court in April 28th, 2022.
“We want the court to give us back our land which was taken over by the British settlers.
They killed our grand parents claiming that they are bandits before grabbing our land,” said Kinyua.
He said the British settlers have been farming on the land since 1919 up to date while the rightful owners were rendered squatters.
He said some MAU MAU remnants live in slums like Mjini,Mashaka and in forest shamba system where after 30 years their houses are burnt down as if they are not Kenyans.
“As the MAU MAU remnants we decided to come together and fight for our land. Many are homeless, some live in rented houses while others beg for food,” noted Kinyua.
Yesterday several Mau Mau freedom war veterans and descendants suffered a setback as the Environment and Land Court at Meru struck out the petition claiming ownership of the land.
The petitioners, Meru Cultural Center and others are laying claim to 598, 929 acres of land in Buuri Sub County, currently occupied by large scale commercial farm, arguing they were driven out of their land by people who were aided by the colonial Government.
Justice Charles Yano while acknowledging that the court had the jurisdiction over the matter, dismissed it after he found it defective on the basis that the allegations contained in the petition were not substantiated.
The petitioners now have the task of proving ownership over the huge tracts of land they claim to be theirs, and make a fresh petition to court to have the present occupiers cede.
The respondents include the management of the large farms, Agricultural Finance Corporation National Land Commission, The Settlement Funds Trustee and the Attorney General.
Kinyua and Edward Maina, the second and 19th petitioner, respectively, are members of the Meru Cultural Center which symbolizes and executes the tribal mandate and authority of The Meru Tribe community.
They argued that the Meru Tribal Community were the “”undebatable and indefeasible owners and occupants over the suit properties.
Gakii, Kinyua and Maina said they were happy with how the ruling had turned out and vowed to petition the case.
