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Group denies charge in police land dispute


Twenty six members of a Lang’ata based self-help group have been charged with creating disturbance by locking gates leading to police staff quarters.

The mitumba women group members appeared before Kibera acting senior principal magistrate Mr Lucas Onyina and denied the charges.

They were each released on a Sh2, 000 cash bail and the case was fixed for hearing on January 31.

The accused, four of whom are men, allegedly committed the offence on Monday this week at West Park police quarters in Lang’ata.

According to the prosecution, the women group members created disturbance in a manner likely to cause a breach of peace by closing the quarter’s gates using padlocks and chains.

The accused are alleged to have denied entry and exit to the staff at the quarters.

The courtroom was packed to capacity by relatives and friends of the accused who were keenly following the proceedings.

The self help group is embroiled in a long standing tussle with the police over ownership of the land worth Sh4.5 billion on which development started in 1986 as a police residential quarters.

The group claims the property was allocated to them by a former president to put up houses for its 600 members.

The land, located along Lan’gata road next to Wilson airport, has 595 maisonettes and flats currently occupied by police officers and development is still on-going.

The group claims the property was allocated to them by former President Moi to put up houses for 600 members of the group.

On Monday, 23 members of the group were arrested after attempting to lock up the 75-acre property in Lang’ata on which the government built housing units for the police.