Uasin Gishu County executive for lands stares at an impeachment!
Ng'enyilel MCA Benjamin Natui cautions CECM Anthony Sitienei ,over Murgusi/Chebororwa county government Land/Photo James Gitaka
Residents of Murgusi, Ng’enyilel Ward, in Uasin Gishu County have defied a move by the County government through the lands department to halt cultivation of sugarcane at an 11 acre piece of land that was purchased by the County government several years ago.
The residents who held several public participation meetings resolved to have the Murgusi/ Chebororwa farm cultivated for the benefit of the community, as they await the County government to allocate funds for the construction of an agricultural institution.
“We have minutes of the public participation, after wide consultations we noticed that certain government officers and well-connected politicians have been planting maize on this farm, the community however has never benefited with any of the proceeds from the said farm, we therefore agreed to engage a sugar company that has planted cane on the farm and the proceeds will benefit needy students and the vulnerable in our society before the county government rolls out any project on the land ,” said Noah a resident of Murgusi.
The community has indicated the need to have a teacher’s Training College constructed in the said parcel of land.
The Residents have however castigated CECM for lands Anthony Sitienei for what they termed harassment and intimidation.
Sitienei has been accused of resisting the community project with an aim of utilizing the said land for his personal gains,
“The CECM has been using county enforcement officers to arrest and harass community members who were elected through the minutes to oversee the sugar cane project , the CECM claims the land should be used to grow food that will benefit children at the Eldoret Rescue Centre, we are asking him when this decision was arrived at,we were not involved in any public participation that arrived to such a decision ?Paused Dancan Kiprono, another resident.
We have many idle lands within the county. Why only the Murgusi /Chebororwa farm? Added Kiprono.
Ng’enyilel Ward MCA Benjamin Natui has however cautioned the CEC against intimidation and harassment of his constituents, warning that the CECM had failed in his mandate and could soon be impeached,
“This land has always been used by certain county government officials and well-connected politicians for their own gains , this time round we said the land must benefit residents of Ng’enyilel ward ,No amount of intimidation will scare us from fighting for our rights, the CECM lands was the most poorly performed CEC during the vetting exercise conducted by the County assembly of Uasin Gishu ”Said Hon Natui.
We will fight attempts to grab any public land within the ward, that follows the Governors rallying call on members of the public and their leaders to protect public utility, no one is above the law,Added Natui.
However the CECM for lands Anthony Sitienei has condemned the move claiming his department was fully in charge of the utilization of any of the County land and that consultations were ongoing regarding the move by the MCA to have the Murgusi/Chebororwa land planted cane.
“We regret what has been happening in that parcel of land, we are in consultations on the next cause of action, however that land was bought by the County Government with the sole intention of having a tree nursery for the production of Macadamia and Coffee seedlings among other high value crops that the county government is advocating for among our farmers” Said Mr.Sitienei.
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