STATUS OF PUBLIC LANDS IN SYOKIMAU (BUYER / DEVELOPER BE AWARE)

Since the year 2015 Syokimau Residents Association (SRA) has been engaged on a spirited battle to recover all Public lands in Syokimau which has been grabbed through illegal Re-Allocations. Some plots changing hands over 35 times within 3 years and around the same persons. SRA Legal committee initiated land recovery by writing to the National Lands Commission.
From public records, SRA has established that the defunct Syokimau Farm Limited had surrendered certain parcels of land for public use as condition for sub-division. The parcels were earmarked for social facilities and basic services to the general public. Since then SRA has witnessed wanton sub-divisions of the said parcels into commercial and private residential plots and sold to the public.

Following the public outcry, the Government established a 13 member Mavoko Land Task Force under the Kenya Gazette notice No.12622 in 2018 to look into the matter of irregular allocation and usage of public lands in the entire Mavoko Subcounty. The Task Force had its term extended through Legal Notice No 1555. The report of the task force is yet to be made public.

As the recovery process continued albeit at a snail’s pace SRA Officials have had numerous engagements with
1.) National Lands Commission
2.) Ethics and Anti-corruption commission
3.) The ombudsman
4.) The county government of Machakos

Of special interest is LR 12715/267 (32 acres) which was surrendered to the government by the defunct Syokimau Farm Ltd for community use as per the government regulation and obligation for any subdivision to be legitimate.
However, the same Syokimau Farm Ltd went against the government and un-procedurally re-allocated the land to themselves. They later sold the plots. This explains how the 124 private persons are currently in possession of this public land.
NLC in the last hearing made efforts to mediate between SRA and the alleged 124 owners. NLC proposed that the 32 acres be subdivided afresh to cater for public utilities. SRA was requested to provide a list of public utilities that are required for consideration on behalf of the community. NLC proposed further that after the public facilities are catered for then and only then the 124 purchasers will be allocated the remaining land. SRA has since identified and submitted the following facilities to NLC for consideration;

1.) National Police service (Police Station, DCI, Housing)
2.) Central Government administrative offices (Deputy County Commissioner, ACC, Chief among other offices)
3.) County administration offices
4.) Level 5 Hospital
5.) Public Market (Stalls, Parking, Ablution block)
6.) Syokimau Public Bus park and public sanitation block
7.) Public Recreation centre (Multipurpose Hall, Football pitch, Basketball)
8.) Syokimau public Recreational park
9.) Public Library and Museum
11.) Fire station
12.) Water Reservoir
13.) Post office
14.) Law courts
SRA ACHIEVING MORE TOGETHER