A widow in Kalandin, in Rarieda, Siaya County is accusing a Kenya Kwanza government Cabinet Secretary Eliud Owallo of intimidation and harassment with a view to disinherit her of her ancestral land.
Monica Kayongo is accusing Owallo of intimidation, perception and gender profiling against widows.
The CS has been developing a piece of land that he reportedly bought at Kalandin trading center, adjacent to Kayongo’s homestead.
“Since 2013, Mr Owallo has been pressurizing me to hive off a piece of my land and sell to him. I have consistently and persistently told him that this landis my children’s heritage; hence it’s not for sale,” Mrs. Kayongo said.
On September 14, 2023, the CS, sent Land Registrars from Kisumu and Bungoma to carry out a boundary dispute exercise in Rarieda which falls within Bondo Registry Mr Felix Mwaura who came to the ground on behalf of Bondo Registry with an aim of resolving the boundary dispute is infact a Registrar in Bungoma.
Mwaura told journalists who were on the ground during the survey that they had received instructions “from above” to conduct the survey and file a report.
Mrs. Kayongo is apprehensive that the surveyors and registrar, were at Kalandin to allegedly satisfy the wishes of the government official at the centre of the dispute.
Bondo Lands Office had earlier carried out a boundary survey and gave their findings and recommendations. However the Regional Surveyor from Kisumu together with Mr. Mwaura rubbished Bondo’s findings and recommendations terming them “an illigality. Bondo Registry Officials were not present during this exercise.
“The survey is not to our satisfaction” the Land’s registrar Mr Mwaura (who signed the summons on behalf of Bondo Registry) informed the participants that he specifically received firm instructions from the Chief Lands Registrar to come conduct the exercise and forward the report to him (Chief Lands Registrar),” said Kayongo’s lawyer, Oduol Aluoch.
My client is pursuing legal alternatives as it is apparent that government officials are abusing their powers, Oduol said.
Mrs. Kayongo observed that the Land Registry in Bondo ought to have been present during the survey so that both Registrys could come to a consensus.*
“Land officials from Kisumu are here; by-passing those in Bondo, which is the registered registry for this region. I am apprehensive that they came here for a specific purpose and a pre-determined outcome,” she said.
Mrs. Kayongo continued, “I am asking whoever is out there to come to my rescue because the person behind this despute is a high profile individual in this country and he’s using his status to intimidate and instill fear in me and my children”
Mrs. Kayongo said that on July 19, 2023, her workers were arrested and detained at Aram Police Station over the boundary dispute. 
Uniformed policers have also been manning the disputed boundary; further instilling more fear and fright in me*, she said.
