Kalonzo Steps Up Fight Over Taita Taveta Evictions, Promises Legal Action

By Violet Kerubo

Wiper Patriotic Front and Azimio la Umoja leader Kalonzo Musyoka has stepped up pressure over the controversial eviction of residents in Jipe/Mwakosheni Village in Taita Taveta County, promising both parliamentary and legal action to challenge the demolitions.

Kalonzo, who toured the affected area alongside DAP-K leader Eugene Wamalwa and Democratic Party leader JB Muturi, accused state authorities of allowing residents to be displaced from their homes and land without adequate protection of their rights.

The leaders met families affected by the evictions before addressing a series of public rallies in Eldoro, Taveta Town and Voi Town.

According to Kalonzo, hundreds of residents, including women, children and persons with disabilities, were left without proper shelter and access to basic necessities following the demolitions.

The disputed land is said to cover more than 4,000 acres, with the opposition leaders calling for urgent intervention to protect the affected families.

Kalonzo directed National Assembly Minority Leader Robert Mbui to take the matter up in Parliament, while his legal team prepares to return to court to pursue enforcement of existing court orders.

He said those found responsible for violating residents’ rights should be held personally accountable.

The Wiper leader further linked the Taita Taveta dispute to what he described as a wider problem of land grabbing, corruption and misuse of state institutions.

He accused the government of failing to adequately protect communities facing displacement and warned that public institutions should not be used to facilitate the removal of citizens from their land.

During the public engagements, Kalonzo said residents in the Coast region were increasingly frustrated by land disputes, economic difficulties and what he termed abuse of state power.

He called for greater unity among Kenyans in what he described as a broader struggle to reclaim land, protect constitutional rights and restore dignity to citizens.

The tour by Kalonzo, Wamalwa and Muturi comes as opposition leaders intensify grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 General Election, with land rights, economic hardship and governance emerging as key issues in their engagements with voters.

Kalonzo vowed that the affected residents would not be left to face the dispute alone, saying the opposition would pursue the matter through Parliament, the courts and other lawful avenues.