Squatters from Ganda ward in Malindi Sub County, Kilifi County have changed the approach of pushing for land possession by using adverse possession as a peaceful means of acquiring land.

For years the squatters not only in Ganda ward but the entire Coast region have been facing forceful evictions and perennial court battles in their quest to get land.

However in the new approach the squatters through their leadership have resorted to adverse possession as a way to peacefully get land ownership documents.

Already the new approach is bearing fruits and is believed will largely help in ending the years of forceful evictions.

Normally squatters would be woken up in the wee hours of the night by police accompanied by alleged land owners with bulldozers that would demolish their buildings to forcefully evict them.

This is despite the fact that the squatters resided on those parcels of land for more than two decades. 

During a consultative meeting hosted by Ganda Member of County Assembly (MCA) Oscar Wanje held at Ganda grounds, one of the alleged grabbed lands in the area, residents most of whom are squatters urged the county government to help them commence adverse possession procedures. 

The meeting was attended by hundreds of residents, the Kilifi County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for lands, energy, housing and urban planning Jane Kamto and representatives of Malindi MP Amina Mnyazi who vowed to work together and ensure all squatters are settled. 

Most land in Ganda ward is believed to be owned by absentee landlords hence rendering two thirds of the population as squatters. 

The MCA claimed he is also living as a squatter in Ganda since his family land is being claimed by an absentee landlord.

Wanje said that adverse possession was a non-confrontational legal process that had been tried and tasted on one of the contested lands in the area whose subdivision was almost over and that more than 300 families will receive their title deeds by the end of the year.

He said Kilifi Governor has always been vocal about the squatter problem in the county and was in the forefront in advocating for peaceful resolutions to land problems.

“Adverse possession has been cited as the best option to resolve the squatter problem, the same way my constituents have no title deeds is the same way I lack, that is why I refer to myself as a squatter,” he said. 

The Lands CEC on her part said that her office was working with leaders in areas affected by the squatter problem and land grabbing so that an amicable solution was found. 

She said the county invites investors but they should acquire land legally and avoid disturbing residents and turning them into squatters. 

Kamto said the county was the custodian of land and had title deeds that dates back to 1908 which they were now revoking since nobody can claim ownership of land 117 years later after staying away for decades.

“Let us embrace adverse possession so that both parties can arrive at a peaceful solution,” she said. 

Meanwhile, President William Ruto during the burial of Senate Speaker Amason Kingi’s father Kingi Mwaruwa Mkweha last week said that his government had set aside funds to purchase land from absentee landlords to resettle squatters.

Written by Alphonce Gari, TV47 correspondent