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The Nubian Community living in Kibera Nairobi has vowed not to leave a contested land which AL Aqsa Mosque in Kibera seats on. This is after the court ruling on 5th which stated the land belongs to the Presbyterian Church.
Addressing the Media today from the spot where the land is, the Community led by Shafi Hassan, the community says they will move to the court of appeal to challenge the ruling arguing that the land rightly belongs to them and will stop at nothing to ensure it is in their custody.
‘We want the courts to know that as Nubians we respect the Judiciary but they need to make sober judgements. We also respect the Presbyterian Church who are our neighbours here but we need to remind them that on this we stand to disagree with them,’ Shafi said.
The community claims that the Presbyterian Church acquired the church irregularly.
Jamaldin Yohya who is also a leader of the community said that he moved to the area in 1986 and that the land where the Church stands was not occupied then. He also said that the contested piece of land was initially a public utility and wondered how the church acquired the land title deed of a community land.
“This land was registered and gazetted in 1917 as a military reserved for ex Sudanese soldiers and documents available. The land was given to our grandfathers for service rendered to the government. It is unfortunate that we suffer the fate of our land being grabbed from time in memorial and I find it ridiculers for people to come and say that the land belongs to them,” Jamaldin commented.
Mr Yohya further said that the area former Mp Raila Odinga, after going through the matter when he was their legislator, once asked the church to stick to their initial boundary and stop encroaching on the contested piece of land.
They also lamented that they have petitioned the government on the matter a number of times but it has taken no action.
READ ALSO:Nubian Rights Forum latishia kuishtaki serikali kwa ubomozi wa makaazi
