Sections of Tana River residents have called upon government to implement the village cluster programme which has stalled for long aimed at relocating residents from flood prone areas and ensure that locals have the right documents for land ownership.
According to the chairman of the Tana River County Professionals Caucus Enos Jillo, lack of political good will has led to high poverty levels as the land issue have never been addressed leading to locals failing to get land ownership documents.
Speaking to journalists in Hola town after chairing a meeting attended by Chanamaro community members, he said that Tana River has vast land and all communities living in the county must be allocated land and get land ownership documents.
Jilo added that they were ready to engage with other communities living in the area so as to come up with meaningful solutions to the land issue.
“The Governor has no capacity to implement the project that is why we are calling on President Ruto to come in and help achieve the cluster village program,” he said.
Said Omara, a member of Chanamaro said that the County was known for disasters and by having village clusters; it will bring a permanent solution to the perennial problems.
“Tana River is a County plagued with disasters, either floods or drought and the village cluster programs offers a permanent solution to that and it will reduce movement and spur development,” he said.
He said that once the village clusters are in place there will be minimal displacements and the government will set up amenities that will spur development and economic growth.
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John Kombe from the Mijikenda Community who is a member of Chana Maro condemned the incitements of political leaders that are hindering development.
Hadaisa Komora said that the cluster program will end perennial displacement of communities due to floods and asked all leaders and communities to embrace it.
“Clusters will enhance urbanization and trade within the cluster and it will leverage poverty within those villages and we would like to take this opportunity to ask the national government to come on board and build affordable houses in these clusters,” he said.
The Ksh3.5 billion program which was initiated by Governor Dhadho Godhana in 2017 has stalled due to unavailability of resources, local politics and tribal undertones.
The programme was meant to settle at least 200,000 residents residing in 48 villages in flood prone areas.
The residents under the Tana River County professionals Caucus now want the national government to resolve the emotive land issue so as to enable locals to get land ownership documents like other Kenyans.
Already some community members began occupying the clusters as the county administration set up infrastructure while others displaced by floods vowed never to return to the flood prone areas.
Their appeal is for the government to allocate them land permanently, give them title deeds, construct houses and build infrastructure for them to have access to electricity, water, hospitals, and schools among other amenities.
By Nehemiah Okwemba
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