By REUBEN OLITA
April 11, 2026| A simmering land dispute has exploded into the open, with a Kenyan human rights defender accusing the Bungoma County Government of deliberately withholding vital land records belonging to Changara Location in Busia County—a move he says has crippled development, locked out investors, and robbed an entire community of its economic future.
In a fiery press statement issued Friday, activist Cleophas Okisai alleged that the missing documents have made it nearly impossible for residents to obtain title deeds, secure bank loans, or legally buy or sell land. The result, he says, is a ghost economy where potential wealth sits locked in legal limbo.
“An entire generation has been economically paralyzed by withheld paperwork,” Okisai charged. He warned that young people and families in Changara are the hardest hit, unable to build homes, start agribusinesses, or use their land as collateral to escape poverty.
Beyond the human toll, Okisai delivered a stinging fiscal indictment: Busia County is hemorrhaging millions of shillings annually in uncollected land rates, stamp duties, and development levies. “That’s money that could build roads, schools, and clinics in Changara,” he said. “Instead, it’s vanishing into a bureaucratic black hole.”
The activist didn’t spare local leadership, past or present. He named former Busia Governor Sospeter Ojaamong, current Governor Paul Otuoma, and Angurai East MCA David Parapara, accusing them of failing to resolve a crisis that has festered for years. He reserved his sharpest criticism for the current county administration, which he accused of “deafening silence and inexcusable inaction.”
To break the deadlock, Okisai laid out an urgent, three-point roadmap:
- A formal complaint to the Ministry of Lands, demanding the release of all Changara land records within 14 days.
- High Court intervention to compel compliance and resolve legal ambiguities.
- A public inquiry and revenue audit by the National Land Commission to uncover the full scale of the loss.
At the same time, Okisai announced the launch of the Liberate Changara Movement—a grassroots campaign to fight for land rights, hold leaders accountable, and push for economic empowerment in the region. He called on residents to unite, speak out, and demand answers.
“Silence is complicity,” he said. “Our leaders must either act or step aside.”
Repeated attempts to reach Bungoma County officials for comment were unsuccessful by the time of publication.