Residents of Kipini East ward in Tana River County have raised alarm over the alleged grabbing of 10,000 acres of their ancestral land, accusing government officers of colluding with a local wildlife conservancy to push them out.

Led by community elder Islam Abdala, the villagers say boundaries have been illegally extended into human settlements, leaving hundreds displaced in the Mkoma Mmoja area. Abdala maintained that while Nairobi Ranch holds a title deed, it does not cover their ancestral land. He further alleged that fake title deeds were processed and accused the Tana River County Commissioner of refusing to present the disputed documents to the community.

The residents also claimed the Kipini Wildlife Conservancy has been destroying homes and forcefully displacing families. “Our fathers donated land to the conservancy in the 1970s, but today the same land is being used against us,” Abdala said, urging elected leaders to step in.

Local youth expressed frustration, saying land was their only path out of poverty. “Instead of protecting us, the government is watching as we are pushed into hopelessness. We want our land back so we can empower ourselves,” said Husna Abdul.

Kipini East MCA Abubakar Athman also criticized international donors, cautioning the European Union and World Bank against supporting the conservancy, which he said has failed to benefit the community and instead fueled human-wildlife conflict.