Thursday, 1 May, 2025
Mwendo wa Panya residents petition National Assembly over unlawful eviction from ancestral land
Wednesday, 30th April, 2025Parliament Buildings
Residents of Mwendo wa Panya Village, located in Mtepeni Ward, Kilifi South Constituency, have petitioned Parliament seeking intervention in a case involving their forceful eviction from ancestral land in 2021.
The petition was presented before the Hon. Kavai Kagesi, led Public Petitions Committee by Kilifi South Member of Parliament, Hon. Kenneth Chonga.
The petition details the plight of the Mwendo Wa Panya villagers, who claim to be facing ongoing harassment and unlawful eviction from land they assert is their ancestral heritage.
According to the petitioner, “Mwendo wa Panya Village is a pre-colonial settlement established around 1908 by one Athman Suleiman. It reportedly developed into a sanctuary for local people fleeing slave traders.”
Hon. Chonga informed the Committee that the village, established over a century ago, is home to more than 1,000 people. The area includes vital community infrastructure such as healthcare facilities, schools, agricultural land, a community cemetery, and a religious shrine that served as a refuge for those escaping the slave trade in the 19th century.
The Petitioner avers that the land in question was unlawfully registered in the names of three individuals; Mark Mwaura Mwangi, Charles K. Wanguhu, and John Waweru Mwangi without the knowledge or consent of the residents.
He states that attempts to resolve the issue through relevant government agencies have been unsuccessful, leaving the affected residents homeless and without alternative resettlement options.
"The land in question was entrusted to the residents of Mwendo Wa Panya by the Athman family upon their return to Oman in the early 1900s," Hon. Chonga asserted, further alleging “It is persons at the Ministry of Lands and the National Land Commission who have colluded with the three parties to deprive residents of their rightful ancestral home.”
In his petition, Hon. Chonga urged the committee to launch investigations into the land registration process and how the property was registered in the names of the three individuals without the residents' awareness or consent.
He also requested the Ministry of Lands, Public Works and Urban Development, and the National Land Commission to facilitate the settlement of the affected residents through land subdivision and the issuance of title deeds.
Members of the committee sought clarification on the historical context of the land ownership and questioned why the residents had not been granted title deeds in the years since the original occupants left.
Referencing the legal provision that prioritizes individuals who have resided on a piece of land as squatters for a minimum of twelve years for settlement, the Member of Parliament for Mbeere South, Hon. Nerbert Muriuki, inquired, "What steps have the displaced individuals taken to secure titles to the land? Where have they been all these years?"
In response, Hon. Chonga informed the committee of alleged deliberate obstruction by influential individuals hindering the residents' resettlement on the land.
Committee Chairperson, Hon. Kavai Kagesi, advised the petitioner to furnish the Committee with additional up to date information regarding the current status of the land and a detailed history of its ownership to assist the Members in their deliberations on the matter.