A DO in Malindi was yesterday chased away by beach operators and fishermen at Mayungu area following differences over a controversial beach plot.
The land has allegedly been allocated to aninvestor to construct a multimillion shilling luxury hotel. JosephineNjenga together with a chief, assistant chiefs, local village elders and officials of Beach Management Unit had gone to present an agreement form betweenthe investor and the fishermen.
Tension rose when the fishermen and some beach operators said they had not been consulted and opposed the project. The fishermen engaged in a war of words and threatened to lynch the government officials. The local leadership, the investor and the BMU officials had sought Njenga’s consent to act as a witness.
However upon arrival at the scene, the fishermen stormed the area and called off the exercise. The plan was to allow the investor to set up an access road to the beach and a public road. A source who witnessed the incident but did not want to be named said Njenga and her team were forced to flee from the scene. She however denied having been chased away by the fishermen and clarified that they wanted to burn the investor.
Speaking to the Star on the phone Njenga said fishermen from the Mayungu Fishermen Cooperative Society approached her in the office with an agreement. “I asked the chief to take me to the site so as to witness the signing of agreement, but upon reaching there the group of fishermen opposed the move and threatened to lynch the investor,” she said.
Mrs. Njenga said she was forced to intervene and ordered the investor to move out of the area so as to avoid any fracas before they left for Malindi. She said the fishermen disclosed that the deal was between the investor and some few officials who were doing it secretly as they had not been informed at all.
Asked whether there could be anyone inciting the youths or the motive of the angry youths the DO said she was not aware of anything about it. She also could not state the size of the disputed plot neither was she aware of the kind of project that would be set up. “I had just go there to over see the sighing of the agreement but did not have much details about the project whatsoever and do notknow whether the fishermen are being incited,” she said.
Reliable sources however said the fishermen could have been insulted by politicians as the cases of land disputes in Mayungu and Chembe Kibaba muche prime areas were not new. The DO said those opposed to the signing in of the agreement claimed that Fisheries Minister Amason Kingi had promised to help them acquire a title deed so as to develop it.
She said there would be a public baraza (meeting) on Thursday this week to discuss the issue and seek permanent resolutions. Cases of land disputes in the prime beach plot have become rampant and for quite some time led to conflicts between the investors and area MP Gideon Mung’aro who accused them of grabbing land for the locals. Mung’aro vowed the fight back and help the locals get back all their land under whatever circumstances. This has made him to be at loggerheads with the investors who accuse him of not supporting them.
2012 Nairobi Star