Kenya: Women Shut Down Kajiado West Leaders Office over Disinherited Land
Governor Joseph ole Lenku's office in Kibiku, Kajiado West, was shut down on Wednesday by a group of women. They had gathered near Ngong town to demonstrate against the disinheritance of a land worth an estimated Sh100 billion.
The women, most of whom are widows and single mothers carrying children on their backs, made the journey to Kajiado town to petition the governor to intervene in a land dispute in Kibiku and request an audience with President William Ruto.
The women wailed and sang funeral dirges as they criticized various Kajiado West leaders, whom they accused of working with land brokers and cartels to illegally subdivide the land and sell it to naive investors.
Ann Teeka, Margaret Moitalel, and Sylvia Kipees led the women who claimed they went to Lenku for help because cartels were using government officials at the national level to sell off their land.
"As we watch, we are being disinherited. People have lost money by selling our land. We've learned that they took a list to the Ministry of Lands. We want the governor to protect our right to the land, even if that means requesting President Ruto's intervention," Moitalel said.
The protest is in response to Kajiado West DCC Moranga Morekwa's announcement last week, regarding a moratorium on further land subdivisions.
The women first met outside the county assembly offices, where they criticised local Speaker Justus Ngussur for betraying them by siding with strangers.
Leah Sankaire, a female representative, was also invited to show her support by attending. When Governor Lenku was called out of his office to speak to the women, he vowed to uphold the women's claims to the land.
"I'm in discussions with the Lands CS, and we'll soon smoke out the cartels. An investigation is underway to identify those who were determined to dispose of the land illegally," Lenku said.