Kilifi South MP, Ken Chonga has submitted a petition seeking urgent intervention in the harassment and unlawful eviction of over 1,000 residents of Mwendo wa Panya Village, Mtepeni Ward.
The villagers, who have lived on LR 176/3/Mainland North for over a century, are now facing eviction after their ancestral land was mysteriously registered in the names of three individuals without their consent.
Speaking in the National Assembly on April 2nd 2025 Chonga, detailed how in November 2018, three men went to the village, hired goons, harassed residents, and demolished homes, rendering families homeless.
“In November 2021, the villagers woke up to the shocking news that their land had been registered under these individuals’ names. This is land they have lived on for over 100 years, land where their ancestors are buried!” Chonga stated.
He further noted that despite numerous appeals to the Ministry of Lands and the National Land Commission (NLC), no action has been taken to resolve the matter.
“The residents have tried for decades to secure title deeds, but their efforts have been blocked at every turn. Why should Kenyan citizens be subjected to such suffering in their own country?” asked Ken Chonga.
Deputy Leader of the Majority Party and Kilifi North MP, Owen Baya issued a strong call to the Public Petitions Committee, urging them to fast-track the matter.
“This House should ensure that its resolutions are properly executed by the Executive has forced us to keep revisiting the same injustices,” Baya said.
He added, “These people are Kenyans! They deserve better! They must be accorded the dignity of land ownership.”
Speaking on land documentation challenges, James Nyikal called for a national review of land registration systems.
“We must look beyond this one case. This is happening across the country at the Coast, in urban areas, everywhere. People need land documents that actually mean something,” Nyikal emphasized.
Matuga MP, Kassim Tandaza expressed his frustrations at the historical injustices facing indigenous coastal communities.
“This is not just a Kilifi problem. We see the same thing happening in Kwale, Lamu, and across the entire Coast. Why is it that our people, who were blessed with fertile land, are the ones constantly being displaced?” Kassim Tandaza questioned.
In the petition, residents have called on the National Assembly to investigate how the land was registered under private individuals without the residents’ consent and direct the Ministry of Lands and NLC to regularize the land ownership by issuing title deeds to the residents.