Lamu pastoralists want county to give them grazing land
Mr Mohamed Kalmei, a representative of pastoralists in Lamu County, speaks in Mpeketoni Town on February 16, 2017. He has called on the county government allocate grazing corridors to herders to help resolve conflicts with farmers. PHOTO | KALUME KAZUNGU |NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- They accused the county government of continuing to conserve idle land at the expense of the grazers.
- The herders are mostly from Pangani, Lumshi, Koreni, Mkunumbi and Hongwe.
- They also urged Governor Issa Timamy, MPs and other county leaders to visit their villages.
Pastoralists in Lamu has asked the county government to allocate them part of the 350,000 acres of land whose titles were revoked by the national government as grazing corridors.
Speaking to journalists in Mpeketoni Town on Thursday, the herders mostly from Pangani, Lumshi, Koreni, Mkunumbi and Hongwe said the move will greatly reduce the constant conflicts between them and farmers, a situation that has greatly been precipitated by the ongoing drought.
In January 2016, President Uhuru Kenyatta ordered the cancellation of ownership of the 350,000 acres of land that had been irregularly acquired and directed that the land be returned to the Lamu County Government for public use.
On Thursday, elders from the herders’ community, led by Mr Mohamed Kalmei, accused the county government of continuing to conserve idle land at the expense of the grazers who have nowhere to take their livestock.
QUARRELS WITH FARMERS
He also pointed an accusing finger at the county government for ignoring their needs, adding that the constant altercations between them and farmers would only reduce if they get permanent grazing corridors.
“We are tired of the many disagreements between us and the farmers.
“We don’t have any place to graze freely especially at this moment when drought is being experienced.
“It is unfortunate that we have adequate land here in Lamu but we are not allowed to put it to use. We want the county government to give us grazing corridors from the land [whose titles] were revoked since it is currently idle.
“We are positive that the conflicts between herders and farmers will stop if we are allocated grazing corridors,” said Mr Kalmei.
They also urged Governor Issa Timamy, MPs and other county leaders to visit their villages and see for themselves the problems they are facing and assist them.
The herders also accused the county government of side-lining them during the distribution of relief food to drought-stricken residents and that no county leader has visited them since the drought begun.
