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Land Rates In Nandi Hike Up Five Times
The County of Nandi has decided to put an increase on land rates five times for multinational tea companies to Sh500 an acre as from July. This is as a result of a ruling by the National Land Commission (NLC) for the devolved units to m ake final decisions on renewal pf expired land leases. “It is unfortunate that the multi-national tea companies have been earning huge profits from tracts of land under tea plantations while the locals who suffered historical land injustices after they were forcibly displaced are wallowing in poverty,” said the Governor, Stephen Sang.
The multi-national tea companies are occupying more than 150,000 acres of land under cultivation of the cash crop. The NLC allowed counties in tea- growing zones to have the final say on the renewal of the land leases, including review of rates. Most of the leases for the multi-national tea companies have expired and the county governments wants the firms handed over to them.
On Monday, Mr Sang raised another concern that the tea firms were also not fulfilling their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities that are meant to empower the youth. “Tea companies whose land leases have expired will have to hold talks with the county government and agree on the new land rates and support local communities who suffered historical land injustice,” said Mr Sang.
The legal teams representing the county government alongside the elected leaders, county assembly and other stakeholders will hold talks to discuss on an effective manner they can use to implement the new rates. The county chief officer for Lands Solomon Mang’ira said the review follows successful appeal to NLC on historical land injustices committed against the local communities.
“Nandi county suffered the highest number of historical land injustice cases that resulted in displacement of families to create over 150,000 acres of land for tea plantations,” said Mr Mang’ira. “Survey will be carried out to determine the exact acreage of land occupied by multi-national tea companies,” said Dr Mang’ira. Multi-national tea companies in Nandi occupy about 150,000 acres of land.
