Okiya Omtatah Rescues Govt from Land Grabbers Single-handedly

Human Rights Activist Activist Okiya Omtatah, on Tuesday, won a case in which he wanted a stolen piece of government land located in Nasewa, Matayos Constituency in Busia County, restored to the public.

Taking to Twitter on Friday, the activist disclosed that it had taken him more than eight years of advocacy and litigation to recover the 843 acres of land from Busia Sugar Company (BSC).

Omtatah revealed that the Busia County Land Registrar cancelled the title deed fraudulently issued to the company and issued a new one in the name of the Principal Secretary, Treasury, who is the custodian of all the assets of the National Government.

On Friday, Omtatah handed the new title deed back to the Government through the Busia County Commissioner.

A file photo of Activist Okiya Omtata.

"The new Title Deed has been dispatched to the PS Lands, who in turn will submit it to the PS Treasury to hold it in trust for the people of Kenya," he stated.

"I thank God for enabling me to make the small achievement," he added.

Omtatah wanted the court to declare any alienation, transfer of encumbrance of the land to BSC, Mumias Sugar Company or Kaplony Ltd null and void since everything was done illegally.

On July 31, 2018, the Environment and Land Court in Bungoma revoked the Busia Sugar Company’s title deed.

The court concluded that it was wrong for the land, which was donated by locals, to be allocated to private companies for their own use.

The judge declared that BSC was a private limited company with shareholders being the Government, MH Da Gama Rose the representative of Booker Tate in Kenya and Reliant Holdings Ltd.

Busia governor Sospeter Ojaamong (right), human activist Okiya Omtatah (far left) and regional chairman of Chinese Investors William Zhou (second from right) when they visited Nasewa Nucleaus Estate on 23rd July 2019.

The State acquired the land from residents of Nasewa in the 1990s and handed it over to the miller to construct a factory.

“It is, therefore, my view that the suit land should revert to the acquiring Government ministry so as to achieve the initial objective of acquisition to build a sugar factory for the public benefit and to protect the public interests,” read part of the judgement.

 

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