BY SAADA ABDI
The Nubian community wants to know what measures the
government will take to ensure all the descendents of the community who have
been living as stateless are registered as Kenyan citizens.
The
community has also pleaded with the government to state the steps it will take
to address the rights of Nubian land in Kibra which was originally granted to
them by the British colonial government but has since been lost to other
communities with the connivance of local administration.
Speaking
during the Nubian professionals meeting held in Nairobi Ismail Ramadhan
concentrated on the issue of economics and the identity of land as their
resources on how it could be commercialised with the establishment of
infrastructure and planning in order for the community to benefit.
But
lack of land has become the biggest issue for Nubians who have lost over 4000
acres since Kenya’s independence from the British colony as the government
either supported the loss of land or turned the other side when other people
were on a land grabbing spree.
With
only less than 700 acres remaining, most Nubians are living with the threat of
evictions due to government’s upgrading programme where private houses are
built and given out to people of other communities except Nubians. The growing
Nubian population is not making things any better.
Nubians
have been forced to live in semi-permanent houses in deplorable conditions
because they lack security of tenure on their lands in the form title deeds,
lack of water and other social amenities.
The
community has been agitating for the their lost land and they not only want to
know what the Uhuru Kenyatta government will do to restore this resource but
also what measures the new government will take to include the marginalised
community as citizens of Kenya.
Lawyer
Vincent Ochieng told the meeting to that the solution to the land problem in
Kibra lay in reading the Constitution, knowing of community’s rights and
collecting evidence of dispossession. He advised the Nubians to take the
available land and claim the rest through the Truth Justice and Reconciliation
process.
History
without evidence cannot work, he said, and added that the constitution does not
clarify who the Nubian community is.
It
is important for Nubian professionals to take their rightful position as
advisers and resource persons.
The
meeting came up with 10 recommendations to help the community including need
for civic education , data collection with groups like Kenya Land Commission,
engaging the ministry of lands and both county and national government among
others strategies.
The
Nubian professionals expressed optimism that with the new constitution their
land rights will be restored especially with the help of area MP Hon. Ken Okoth
who has promised to address the issue once and for all.
“We
have a lot of faith in our Constitution and will cooperate and engage in it
effectively to ensure that and agreeable solution is reached”, the Kibra MP
told the professionals’ meeting.
Dr
Asha Ibahim talked of need for frequent meetings to be effective at least once
per month.
Source-The New Dawn.
