Nyandarua County Governor, Francis Kimemia
Churches, politicians, local tycoons, and non-governmental organisations have featured prominently on the list of shame for land grabs in Kenya.
The list of shame was in an audit report in Nyandarua County. It revealed that thousands of acres of public utility land in Nyandarua County have allegedly been lost to grabbers.
The report compiled by a task force formed by Governor Francis Kimemia, said there was widespread grabbing, with influential businessmen and companies going on a land acquisition spree.
Most of the grabbers appeared on almost every page of the 43-page document.
The report indicated that the illegally acquired land include tens of acres belonging to the Ministry of Education and allocated to Mbira Kabocha and Approtek Limited.
Again, Hospital Primary School’s four acres was allocated to Busy Holdings Limited. The Anglican Church of Kenya together with Joseph Ng’ang’a Wainaina, Gladys Mutitu, and Mary Wangechi King’ori are listed among those occupying land belonging to the Agricultural Society of Kenya show ground.
The report stated that a portion of the land belonging to Nyandarua Prison in Ol Kalou has also been grabbed.
Other pieces of land subdivided to private owners are quarries where Foneterea Solutions Limited is one of the beneficiaries.
Furthermore, on the list is politician-cum-businessman Peter Thinji Kiriga.
The list of shame showed that the Church Commission of Kenya, Kindu Holdings, among others are in possession of land set aside for building houses for senior civil servants, while the Pentecostal Evangelical Fellowship of Africa (Pefa) church is a beneficiary of a road reserve. Mr Johnson Mwangi Muriu occupies two plots of land set aside to build homes for the elderly and children, while Agrarian Credit Services, which prominently features in the report together with Bussy Holdings, is allocated land set aside for a dumpsite. It shares the land with Apostolic Faith Church, Pefa church and other individuals.
Acting Lands Executive Raphael Njui, observed that most of the landowners have genuine documents given to them by corrupt officials in the Lands and Local Authority ministries.
“We are determined to repossess all stolen public land that includes land for learning institutions, slaughterhouses, government offices, hospitals among others, but we want to have the alternative dispute resolution committee to handle the issue,” according to Mr Njui.
By Melvin Tarlue