NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 19 – President William Ruto’s allies from the Ukambani region have linked Wiper Leader Kalonzo Musyoka and Machakos Governor Wavinya Ndeti to the controversial sale of land owned by East Africa Portland Cement.
The leaders led by Mwale MP Vincent Kawaya and Kibwezi West MP Mwengi Mutuse have dared the Azimio La Umoja Co-principal to declare his private interest on the controversial piece land blaming the woes of the demolition victims to him.
Musyoka alleged that Musyoka and key Wiper Party Leaders are part of the fraudsters invading public land, sub-dividing it, and selling it to unsuspecting Kenyans after obtaining fake title deeds.
“Kalonzo Musyoka and Wavinya Ndeti be compelled to publicly declare their private interest in the Portland land and for them to explain the amount if land they have been able to acquire through their proxies,” said Mwale.
The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) lawmakers have urged the Office of the Director of Criminal Investigation to widen their investigation on the matter insisting that ‘big fish’ in connection to the ongoing East Africa Portland Cement land eviction saga are still on the loose.
Mavoko Member of Parliament Patrick Makau King’ola, alongside 29 other individuals, was summoned by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in connection to the ongoing East Africa Portland Cement land eviction saga.
The DCI identified Makau and the 29 individuals as persons of interest in the case; many of them being police officers.
“The DCI net should widen to include Governors and party leaders. The DCI should not be scared he should expand the list. We don’t believe that this is a Makau only issue, the list should be expanded to capture the big fish,” said Musyoka.
Mutuse disclosed that a web of fraudsters masquerading as land owners who work in collusion with rogue officials from the Ministry of Land have been defrauding gullible Kenyans through the purchase of land.
“This problem has been there for a long time. It’s a group of individuals who include politicians who pretend to be squatters and raid government land with the aim of getting ownership of the land.Its a big cartel that is taking advantage of our people,” he said.
Previously, Azimio La Umoja leaders have alleged that the land belongs to the local community and accused the government of perpetuating the oppression of the Kamba community.
They argue that the land ought to have reverted to the community after the cement maker finished its mining activities.
The UDA legislators have however refuted the claims saying the demolition was not political as alluded arguing the demolition was carried out with strict adherence to the law.
“They are shedding crocodile stories, the people on the disputed land are only 1500 people and not all of them are Kamba. People should know its not a Kamba issue and its Kenyans. They know who hoodwinked them,” said Kibwezi West MP.
Nominated MP Tabitha Mutinda emphasized that the DCI should fast-track the investigation to ensure the culpable individuals compensate the individuals who were conned in the Mavoko demolition saga.
“The President has nothing to do with what is being purported from the other side that we are not understanding the welfare of the families.The law cuts across both sides of the coin,so the President is doing all to ensure law is adhered to,”Mutinda noted.
Persistent pleas by Machakos Governor Wavinya Ndeti and former Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka for the government to stop the demolitions, the destruction of homes, some of them palatial, has been ongoing unabated with homes on 4,268 acres of land earmarked for demolition.
The history of the ill-fated settlement dates back to 2010 when squatters began settling on the piece of land just after Portland stopped mining activities there.
Over the last two decades, what began as an informal settlement was transformed into a lucrative land selling spree that attracted land speculators and potential homeowners who parted with millions of shillings for a piece of the land they hoped to call home.
