TO EVICT OR NOT? ...........THAT'S THE QUESTION.

The coastal people have for many years complained about historical injustices and marginalization. Successive governments have chosen to ignore these outcries and this can partly be blamed for the formation of the Mombasa Republican Council. MRC has been claiming to fight for the rights of the indigenous coastal people through calls for secession and boycott of 2013 elections. For the past few weeks now a row has been brewing in Likoni due to the planned eviction of over 120,000 squatters from a 930 acres farm. The owner of this piece of land is back to reclaim his farm after many years of absence, armed with a court order for eviction of squatters. He claims that he was forcefully evicted from his land at the height of the Likoni clashes in 1997. In the period that he was absent the squatters have put up permanent residential homes and commercial buildings, there are also schools and places of worship on the land. The owner has also moved to court to have the Police Commissioner committed to a civil jail for failing to execute the court order since 2001. In Takaungu another standoff looms as the Mazrui family seeks to enforce a court order for eviction of an estimated 10,000 families from their 9,100 acres land.

I am not against private ownership of property and I am also not for forceful acquisition of property. However I believe one of the core responsibilities of any government is to ensure equitable distribution of resources. So is there any equity in one family occupying a 9,100 acres piece of land while 10,000 families are kicked out like dogs? Civilization is dependent on agriculture thus it can rightly be said that land is the foundation of a civilized society. At the coast we have large arable land pieces whose owners are absent hence no agricultural activities take place. The governments should take up the pieces of land, subdivide them to the landless indigenous people and empower them to cultivate and grow crops on these pieces of land. If not, then the government should ensure these landowners put the land into proper use. This will offer employment to the masses who in turn will be able to uplift their wellbeing. Poverty levels are high at the coast province because our successive governments have failed to meet the needs of the coastal people. Everyday political rhetoric will not solve these problems.

Although MRC's calls for secession calls have toned down after its officials were arraigned in court with charges bordering to sedation we should be wary of the calmness - to me this is just but a lull before a storm. The government should quit dragging its feet on explosive issues at the coast and move with speed to ensure peace and tranquility is resolved. Resettlement of Mau forest evictees was fast tracked for political gains yet land problems from before we gained independence are nowhere near to be resolved. So why not use similar "efficiency" to resolve matters here. I hope the powers that be are listening to the voices of wanainchi.