Reprieve for 6 in Murang’a as Uhuru orders illegal road closed

Kamuiru village, Murang'a County

The controversial road in Kamuiru village, Murang'a County, which six farmers said cut through their land. President Uhuru Kenyatta ordered it closed and the land returned to the owners.

Photo credit: Mwangi Muiruri | Nation Media Group

President Uhuru Kenyatta has intervened after six farmers from Murang’a County wrote to him complaining that the Kenya Rural Roads Authority (Kerra) had illegally cut a public access road across their land.

The farmers are Julius Kihato, Nahashon Ndung’u, Naomi Wanjiku, Esbon Mucheru, Habel Karanja and James Irungu from Kamuiru village.

In the letter dated April 26, which was sent to State House through Murang’a County Commissioner Mohammed Barre, the six sought help from the Head of State, saying that administrators and politicians from Murang’a had ganged up with Kerra to build the road through their land.

"After the letter reached the attention of the President, we were directed to go to the ground and establish its authenticity and offer an immediate solution," Murang'a South Deputy County Commissioner Mawira Mungania told Nation.africa.

Mr Mungania said senior government officers drawn from the regional headquarters were on the case and it was decided that the land be surveyed and a report filed.

Encroachment

"It was correctly established that indeed the road was offensive and an encroachment into private land. There were justifications being floated by area residents but we had to apply what our survey records deduced," Mr Mungania said.

A grader was dispatched to the area on Thursday to revert the public road to where it ought to have passed through.

Speaking on behalf of the aggrieved farmers, Mr Karanja thanked the President and the media for coming to their aid.

"We are grateful to Nation.africa which responded to our distress call. Our politicians had dismissed us as troublemakers while the local administration had ganged up against us so that we remain silent," he said.

He added that there are many Kenyans who are oppressed through various forms of injustices whose cases should also be highlighted.

Emergency meeting

"We are happy too that after the president came to know about our plight, he has responded. We were called to an emergency meeting by senior government officials and we were requested to cease publicising the matter further since a redress was being sought," he revealed.

Central Region Commissioner Wilfred Nyagwanga Saturday told Nation.africa that the matter got out of hand "due to some funny compromises and collusions that we have now righted".

He encouraged area residents to always seek justice from the government.

"Some of these things happen without our knowledge. When an objective media teams up with Kenyans and relates mutually with the government, we can make things move for the betterment of our country," he said.