Tana River Senator Danson Mungatana has demanded answers from the Kenyan government over the acquisition of community land in Tana River and Garissa counties for a new National Intelligence Service (NIS) campus.
The senator raised the issue at the Senate plenary, calling for a formal statement from the Committee on National Security, Defence, and Foreign Relations.
His concerns centred around Gazette Notice No. 6256, published May 16, 2025, which announced the government’s intent to acquire land for the Masalani NIS Campus.
Residents in the affected areas, Mungatana said, have raised serious concerns about the process. They claim the acquisition was carried out without public consultation or any compensation plans. These are both constitutionally mandated steps before such action can be taken.
“The land was expropriated without the required public participation or compensation,” Mungatana told the Senate.He also pointed out a glaring omission in the official notice. It lacks specific geographical coordinates for the land being taken. This, he argued, undermines transparency and threatens the legal protections afforded to community-owned land, which is held in trust by county governments.
Mungatana urged the committee to investigate several key questions. Why this particular land was chosen. Why the Gazette Notice failed to include clear location details. Whether local communities were consulted before the decision was made public.
He stressed that transparency and accountability are not optional when state action affects citizens’ rights, especially regarding land.
This remains a sensitive issue in many parts of Kenya.
The senator also highlighted the lack of compensation for those impacted.
“Why has no compensation been paid to those affected?” he asked. He reiterated the need for the national government to act fairly and by the law.His intervention reflects growing scrutiny over how land acquisitions are handled, particularly in regions where ownership is communal and legal protections must be strictly observed.
The call for clarity comes as affected residents await both explanation and redress.
