DC orders arrest of village leaders

The District Commissioner for Longido in Arusha Region, James Ole Millya, last week sparked mob reaction when he ordered the arrest of the entire village leadership.

By Charles Ole Ngereza, PST, Arusha

The District Commissioner for Longido in Arusha Region, James Ole Millya, last week sparked mob reaction when he ordered the arrest of the entire village leadership.

Ole Millya is alleged to have ordered the arrest of the entire village secretariat of Sinya community for their unilateral decision to sign an agreement with a tourist company, without involving the district authorities.

Hundreds of villagers took part in peaceful demonstration to Longido central police station to express their disappointment over the action.

It is alleged that the village authority signed an agreement with a tourist company, Taringire River Camp, against the wishes of the district authorities, prompting the Longido district commissioner, James Ole Millya, to issue an arrest order.

Speaking from the police station where they gathered in large numbers, the villagers said the arrest of their leaders was not only acceptable but was against the principles of good governance.

Olais Kiuro said on behalf of others that the DC, accompanied by other government officials as well as armed police, came to the village demanding the immediate cancellation of the agreement.

�All villagers who attended the meeting openly rejected the request of the DC to terminate the contract with immediate effect.

We insisted that we were ready to discuss and identify the inadequacies, if any, but not canceling the treaty altogether,� Kiuro said.

A traditional leader (Laiboni), Meliyo Ole Maanjo, said the reaction of the district authority over the issue was unnecessarily outrageous.

He said the village decided democratically to set aside three acres to Taringire River Camp for the construction of a camp site and 45,000 acres for tourist activities.

�Why blow the matter out of proportion? All that was required was to ensure all legal formalities were observed.

Under the agreement, the village will earn US $ 3500 annually as every tourist visiting the site will pay US $ 10 per day,� the elderly Maanjo said.

Maanjo claimed that arguments by the DC that legal formalities were not followed were baseless as a legal expert had advised villagers at all stages of the process.

DC Millya said the ten-year agreement between the village leadership and Tarangire River Camp was null and void because it lacked legal fiat.

�The Sinya village committee did not have the blessings of village general meeting as they claimed. The meeting did not meet the quorum,� Millya said.

Sinya village has a population of 828 according to 2002 national census, but only 33 people attended the first meeting on October 25, 2006 to discuss the matter.

�During the second meeting, 70 delegates attended and discussed applications from CORTO and Northern Hunting companies.

When did the village discuss the application of Tarangire River Camp?

And why was it that those who signed the agreement were taken for a sponsored tour in Dar es Salaam with per diem paid to each?� questioned Millya.

The DC concluded that the village authority had no mandate to give 45,000 acres without seeking authorization of the Commissioner for Lands in writing.

�This agreement must be cross-checked because there are a few individuals taking advantage of people`s ignorance in legal aspects to swindle the Maasai community in the area.

The central government has directed us to act decisively,� Millya declared.

Source: Guardian