Leaders and residents of Mandera East have officially opposed the reservation of nearly 49 square kilometres of community grazing land for exclusive military use, describing the process as unlawful and carried out without public consultation.
The decision, formalized through official documents, identifies 4,882.3 hectares, known as L.R. No. 33285, for use as a Military Camp and Training Area under the Ministry of Defence.
The opposition was led by Mandera East MP Hussein Weytan on Wednesday, who, together with other Members of Parliament and Members of the County Assembly from the affected wards, argued that the allocation is unnecessary.
“We wish to state that allocating an additional parcel of land to the Military is unnecessary, as there is already a military installation at Omarjillow within Mandera East Constituency less than 5 kilometres from the proposed site. This installation at Omarjillow already serves border security functions,” Weytan said.
The leaders further alleged that the allocation process began in 2019 under the then-governor Ali Ibrahim Roba, without the knowledge of local residents.
“In 2019, the County Government of Mandera, under the leadership of the then-Governor Ali Ibrahim Roba, allocated the said land to the Military without the knowledge of the community, and the process has been ongoing secretly,” Weytan claimed.
Condemning the process, the leaders emphasized that the reservation was carried out without consultation or public participation, effectively ignoring the rights of the communities living on the land.
“This was done without any consultation, without any public participation and without the consent of the affected communities,” they said.
They cited supporting documents, including letters from the National Land Commission dated December 1, 2022, and July 21, 2025, as well as a signed Reservation Order dated July 21, 2025.
The leaders pointed out contradictions within the reservation process, noting the Gazette order allows for exclusive military use and restricts land transfer without NLC consent, while simultaneously acknowledging the existence of community livelihoods.
“The Gazette Order acknowledges the existence of community livelihoods and the need for inclusive governance structures yet those same communities were never consulted before the Order was signed,” the statement read. The leaders added, “The Order recognizes their presence while extinguishing their rights.”
Reaffirming their stance, they expressed support for a civilian airport in the constituency, provided proper consultations are conducted on a suitable location.
Weytan clarified, “This statement is not about the airport. It is about the reservation of community land for exclusive military use, without consultation or consent.” They also dismissed earlier claims suggesting the land was meant for public infrastructure, saying residents were misled to believe it would be used for community projects before discovering its military designation.
Under the section titled “OUR DEMANDS,” the leaders called for urgent action from authorities.
“We therefore demand the Immediate revocation of Gazette Reservation No. 1903 and L.R No. 33285 by the National Land Commission, strict compliance with the Community Land Act, 2016, in all public land reservation processes, a full public account from the Mandera County Government on how and why approval was granted in October 2019 without public participation,” the statement read.
They also demanded, “Upholding of the constitutional rights of the people of Mandera East by all concerned ministries and state agencies,” adding, “We stand firmly with the people of Khalalio, Arabia and Libahiya Wards.” Weytan warned that, “We will pursue every lawful avenue available to ensure our community’s constitutional rights are upheld and that their voices are finally heard.”
The dispute now puts pressure on the National Land Commission, the Ministry of Lands, the Ministry of Defence, and the Mandera County Government to respond to the community’s concerns, as tensions over land use, consultation, and residents’ rights continue to rise in the region.
