Parliament Begins Hearings on Kuria Land Eviction Petition

The National Assembly’s Public Petitions Committee has started considering a petition by Kuria East MP Marwa Kitayama on behalf of Mnyonge Ana Haki, a welfare association representing the Kuria community of Migori County.

The petition revisits events of February 1989, when members of the Kuria community were forcefully evicted from Moyoi, Trans Mara in Narok County. The petitioners say they were the original occupants of the land, claiming they bought 20,000 acres in the 1950s under colonial-era agreements. They add that they partly settled with the Maasai community by paying 2,000 cows, but were excluded from formal land adjudication in the late 1970s.

Despite a 2019 Gazette Notice by the National Land Commission (NLC) recommending restitution and integration, the petitioners argue that government inaction and interference from local officials have blocked its implementation. As a result, thousands of Kuria families remain in informal settlements, facing insecurity, poor housing and frequent conflict.

Kitayama told MPs that the Kuria have exhausted all avenues, including the courts and the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC), but justice has not been delivered. The petition seeks restitution of the land, cancellation of irregular titles, a fresh survey and compensation for displaced families.

Committee members pressed for details on the complex history of the land. Mbeere North MP Nabert Muriuki asked: “How did the Kipsigis come to the land and did the Maasai also leave during the eviction? Was there even a court order leading to the vacation from the land? How can you integrate people into land that does not belong to them?”

Makueni MP Suzanne Kiamba sought proof behind claims of targeted killings. “Do they have data backing this claim? Do you have evidence that only the Kuria are dying?” she asked.

Dagoretti North MP Beatrice Elachi expressed concern that the matter has dragged on for decades. “It is worrying that 36 years on, and even after the NLC visit, this issue is still haunting the community. Why are the Kuria the only ones being singled out?” she posed.

The committee also heard testimony from Mnyonge Ana Haki representatives through their advocate, Mr. Matiko, who traced the conflict to a three-day eviction notice issued in 1989 by then Provincial Commissioner, the late Yusuf Haji. He said the Kuria were expelled while the Maasai, who had also left, were later allowed back onto the land.

Chuka Igamba Ng’ombe MP Patrick Ntwiga warned against government actions that fuel division. “It is very alarming that part of the communities are being employed as police reservists while the other is excluded. That imbalance risks escalating conflict,” he said.

Uriri MP Mark Nyamita, appearing as a friend of the committee, presented images of recent clashes and urged quick action. “There is need for justice to be done for the 13,000 residents of this community. We need to take this matter of integration very seriously so that the people get justice and feel very much part of Kenya,” he said.