Akamba community sues UK government for colonial injustices, seeks land restitution and apology
via Tuko2 min read
The Akamba community has initiated a landmark legal battle against the Government of the United Kingdom, seeking restitution, land restitution, and a formal apology for colonial injustices. Augustus Kyalo Muli, National Patron of the Anzauni Clan and party Leader of the National Liberal Party, is spearheading the case. The lawsuit alleges that British colonial authorities dispossessed the Akamba of fertile lands, seized cattle, outlawed cultural practices, and confined them to semi-arid regions, leading to impoverishment and political marginalization. Muli states that the approximately five million Akamba continue to suffer economic and political consequences from these policies, with many elders in Makueni reportedly still living in shacks after eviction from ancestral lands. The legal team includes Leigh Day Solicitors of London, Bosek & Co. Advocates of Kenya, and the Kenya Human Rights Commission. Evidence presented includes District Commissioner reports, Hansard records from 1938, recent court findings, and petitions. The claim cites international conventions and precedents, such as the ILO Forced Labour Convention of 1930 and the African Court’s ruling in Ogiek v Kenya 2022. The Akamba community is seeking a formal apology from the UK Parliament, a compensation fund for five million people, restitution of alienated Crown Lands starting with 5,048 acres in Makueni, cultural restoration including the legalization of kaluvu and repatriation of artifacts, and a development
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