EACC to repossess 135 parcels of grabbed land in Nyandarua
Nyandarua Governor Francis Kimemia speak at Olkalou town in a past function on May 24, 2022.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) will repossess 135 parcels of public land grabbed by private developers in Nyandarua County.
At the same time, it is emerging that the land that houses Governor Francis Kimemia's office at the Ol Kalou town headquarters, has also been grabbed by a private developer.
"Someone has the title deed to the land where my offices are located. The county has a lot of public land in the wrong hands," said Governor Kimemia.
He was speaking on Friday during the issuance of over 4, 500 land titles to 28 colonial village settlers in Nyandarua.
However, the government lamented that the land occupied by the colonial villagers was small.
"I appeal to the national government to consider buying more land so that the settlers can live in dignity," said Governor Kimemia.
Meanwhile, it is now emerging that the more than 800 acres piece of land at Ol Joro Orok Constituency belonging to Pyrethrum Processing Company of Kenya.
Angry pensioners, who are owed more than Sh2billion in unpaid dues by the PPCK, have raised a red flag over the grabbing of its prime assets.
"We urge the anti-graft agency to move with speed and recover the more than 800 acres piece of land in Ol joro Orok because it is in the wrong hands," said a former PPCK employee in Nyandarua.
This is the second time that the prime land is almost changing hands after an attempt by the Moi regime to allocate it to a former Managing Director of PPCK backfired when the late Mwai Kibaki took over in 2002 and his government reverted the land to the state agency.
Pensioners complained that the land has not benefited the company and was been mismanaged by the previous management.
"The land had been planted with blue gum trees s but a former senior official harvested the trees and the company did not get a single shilling," said another PPCK worker at the Nakuru factory.
Grabbers have been eying PPCK land across the 18 pyrethrum counties and in Kisii, another prime land in the Nyonsia area in Keumbu was also at the risk of being grabbed.
PPCK has land assets across the country worth more than Sh4 billion and houses in Nakuru City and Nairobi.
Another prime land at Nakuru Industrial Area which had previously been grabbed has also reverted to the company after the company moved to court.
Principal Secretary Nicholas Muraguri, said land adjacent to Lake Olbolosatt had also been grabbed.
"All the public land in the wrong hands will be repossessed. We have dispatched our surveyors to demarcate Lake Olbolosatt before we gazette the boundaries," said the PS.
At least 80,000 title deeds have been issued in Nyandarua County making it one of the biggest beneficiaries in the county.
"The issuance of the land documents will give the beneficiaries dignity. I appeal to the national government to consider buying and allocating the settlers more land so that they can live in dignity," said Governor Kimemia.
