PS Joseph Irungu mentioned in irregular Galana land allocation

 

Water and Sanitation PS Joseph Irungu’s name was on Tuesday mentioned in the subdivision and allocation of ADC land in Galana Kulalu.

Also mentioned, is the National Development Implementation Technical Committee chaired by Interior PS Karanja Kibicho.

Agricultural Development Corporation chairman Nick Salat on Tuesday told MPs that the corporation was kept in the dark and only learnt about the subdivision through the media.

“Our attention was drawn by the sentiments of Joseph Irungu, in his interview by Royal Media Citizen TV, on November 2 last year in which he expressed the government’s desire to dispose of the above-captioned properties in various ways, including an allocation to squatters in Kilifi,” Salat said.

“In this regard, we understand that a committee, being the National Development Implementation Technical Committee, has been mandated to deal with the matter.”

“This development came as a surprise since the land is subject to rights and obligations, including lease agreements, which ought to have been considered before the land is dealt with in any way.”

Salat said ADC, which is the custodian of the land in question. was not involved in all aspects.

He told the committee chaired by Kitui South MP Rachael Nyamai that less than 10 influential individuals have been given the large swath of land and have started developing. He did not, however, mention the individuals.

The individuals, Salat said, are already excavating dams and clearing access roads on the contested land.

“I am not in a position to give names of the influential people, it is up to the investigative authorities to find out who they are,” Salat said.

According to him, the committee should urgently intervene to stop the wanton grabbing of the land, which he estimates is happening at the rate of 25,000 acres per month.

The decision to allocate the land, which ADC has termed irregular, was made by the NDITTC to among others settle squatters in Kilifi.

ADC in documents tabled in parliament said the decision to subdivide and allocate up to 301,350 acres of land was done without the approval of ADC or Parliament as required by law.

The market rate of an acre of land in the area currently stands at Sh50,000 translating to Sh15 billion worth of land that has been encroached.   BY THE STAR