Cons Swarm Elgeyo Marakwet Ahead of Sh6bn Payout

Fraudsters posing as genuine real estate agents have descended on Kimwarer and Arror villages in Elgeyo Marakwet as they seek to swindle residents who are expecting hefty payments from the government.

The National Land Commission (NLC) recently disclosed that it had embarked on the compulsory acquisition of 8,000 acres for the construction of Kimwarer and Arror multipurpose dams, a process that will see more than 800 families displaced.

NLC chairman Muhammad Swazuri said over Sh6 billion would be used to compensate the affected families and to acquire alternative land for resettlement.

“We are in the process of acquiring land for the families to be displaced to pave the way for the construction of the dams after we settled on an amicable agreement,” Prof Swazuri said in Eldoret on June 27.

The looming payouts have attracted many individuals who have been promising residents that they would use their ‘high connections’ to negotiate premium land and property values at a fee.

RELATED: Work to Begin on Arror, Kimwarer Mega Dams

Area residents say that land brokers have been asking for up to Sh500,000 to negotiate high rates for property and that some locals have committed to pay the amount.

“As usual with such projects, brokers come in to try and benefit but we want to caution residents that the brokers have no role in the entire process. It is only the NLC and Kerio Valley Development Authority (KVDA) that are in charge,” Prof Swazuri said.

He also dismissed non-governmental organisations purporting to conduct civic education on the pros and cons of compulsory land acquisition, terming the exercise inappropriate.

“The law has given NLC the mandate on matters of land acquisition and those purporting to carry out education lack expertise on the field and residents should be cautious since they will be misguided,” he said.

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