Kakamega
By Dennis Chagala
Residents of Milimani area in the outskirts of Kakamega town are up in arms after the County Government of Kakamega hired ‘goons’ who invaded their farms and destroyed their crops by slashing them.
They told County Splash News that they were surprised to find their maize, beans and bananas including groceries all slashed down and the County Government claimed that they had cultivated illegally on riparian land.
Led by Princes Alemba, the residents questioned the move by the County government to invade into their farms without their knowledge or prior notice arguing that they have been relying on the crops harvested from their farms for the past 20 years. “At this time of the corona pandemic, we are relying on the produce from our farms to sustain ourselves.”
They claim to have incurred losses following the incident and have now demanded the local government to reconsider its decision and give them food support especially during this time of Corona pandemic.
“Since our crops have been destroyed by officers sent from the county government. We demand the county to supply us with food,” said John Muranda.
The county staff who destroyed the crops said they were acting on orders of the County Government.
“They have never given us fertilizer nor has seeds to plant, our efforts to enquire reason behind the destruction been fruitless. They claim that they had been sent.” He said.
Grazing of livestock around the town has also been banned while owners of buildings, which are in deplorable state, have also been asked to work on them or else they will be demolished.
“Crops taller than five feet high grown in Kakamega town should also be done away with because criminals will establish hideouts in them and begin terrorizing innocent civilians.” Read a statement from the county Government.
The incident comes in the wake of demolition of illegal structures that had sprouted on road reserves across Kakamega town in a step to ease congestion and bring order within town.
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