BORANA ELDERS URGE PRESIDENT RUTO TO INTERVENE AS MAGADO LAND DISPUTE ESCALATES

Communities from Kinna, Kulamawe, and Gootu in Isiolo County have protested what they describe as the construction of a police training camp on their 600-acre community land in Magado. Speaking to the media, led by community elder Abdullahi Ngojobe, the elders claimed the land has belonged to the local community for generations. They argued that constructing the police training camp without their consent, and while the ownership dispute remains unresolved, amounts to a violation of their constitutional rights. They said they have been fighting for ownership of the land since 1963, adding that although a court ruling in 2015 directed that the boundary dispute be resolved, the matter remains unresolved to date. Ibrahim Ali Jarso, a member of the Community Land Management Committee, called on the government to return the land to the community, arguing that they have already lost a significant portion of their ancestral land. His sentiments were echoed by Kartum Halakhe Sora, who said the ongoing construction of the training camp has already begun affecting their livestock due to frequent gunfire from training activities. On his part, Jillo Buke Said, the founder of Waso Paralegal, criticized the government's decision to proceed with the construction despite an ongoing court case challenging the acquisition of the land during the boundary demarcation process. He alleged that state security agencies are being used to deprive the community of its land rights. Speaking alongside the elders, Sericho MCA Abubakar Godana urged President William Ruto to intervene, insisting that the land belongs to the local community and has long served as an important grazing area. Meanwhile, Osman Dima, the chairperson of the area's Land Committee, said the community has depended on the land for grazing livestock for decades. He warned that losing the land would expose their animals to starvation and water shortages due to the loss of pasture. He called on the government to relocate the police training camp to another area. The affected communities are now calling on the government to immediately suspend any expansion of the Magado Police Training Camp until all pending legal and constitutional processes are concluded. They have also urged the National Land Commission to complete investigations into the historical land dispute and appealed to Parliament and other constitutional institutions to resolve the Isiolo-Meru boundary dispute in accordance with the Constitution. They have further appealed to Kenyans, civil society organizations and human rights defenders to support their quest for justice, insisting that community land rights must be respected and that development should be guided by consultation, legality and the rule of law rather than dispossession. The pastoral communities maintain that they are not opposed to development or national security but insist that any government project must respect court decisions, protect community land rights and adhere to the Constitution. They say their demand is simple: justice, consultation and respect for the law before any further development proceeds.