The Eye Opener For Isiolo Legal Notice No. 150.

Via Adan Kabelo

Reading the arguments over LN 150 by professionals from the county is quite depressing. I wonder if these professionals truly understand the gravity of the matter or for them it's all about countering others opinion. May be some are too young to understand that this notice is the second attempt to open up isiolo county for grabs. The first scramble for isiolo was in the 90s when the leaders then gazetted a notice that made isiolo be openly balloted space for plots by any Tom Dick   and Harry from all over the world. This was unprecedented act that was unfair to the locals. Remember the late Jafar Tupi firmly protected the issuance of plots during his tenure because it will disadvantage the locals who by then we're considering isiolo as foreign to them. He had to be removed from the helm of the council to open up the town for the rest. Where else on earth have you heard land being balloted like gambling? This notice is the second avenue for further gambling beyond the towns now. Because it's unacceptable to openly say so, the proponents are sugar coating with terms like amendments and dangling fear of losing plots in towns. History is full of people who fell prey to such manipulations and disappeared from their ancestral home. The masaais you all know have not been displaced from Enkare Nairobi by guns or force. They were duped by smooth talkers like we are hearing today. The question we should be asking is who asked CS lands to adjudicate isiolo and what was the motive? Why not other counties like in NEP? Did isiolo community in their public participation forums prioritise issuance of titles? Where are the minutes and when /who said it? It is dishonest to say we don't need titles but we must not be threatened and blinded to the bigger loss of the society. We have lived without it for 50 years so what's the rush now. Can't we get first things done first. We secure community land instead of our small plots first. This second scramble comes at a time when a resort city, lappset corridor is all planned out in isiolo without our knowledge. This should worry us more. It amazes me how professionals would bank their confidence on an amendment which they haven't seen yet. They even fail to see that the first notice went out behind their back. If the proponents are honest why are they calling clan fanatics and supporters instead of engaging with leaders elected by people. Remember we lost an opportunity to market Marti as a constituency because of such division. Are we witnessing similar loss again? In my view, the division will ultimately make us lose. Professionals must use their time to stop the divide and create alternative avenues for sober engament. It's laughable that our people are being told they will get loans, when the rest of the world is actually suffering because of those loans. Just because our people are poor should not be cheated into traps that will eventually see them lose their plots to auctioneers.