Trade, industry and investment Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria and Machakos Governor Wavinya Ndeti are engaged in a bitter row over ownership of East African Portland Cement Company (EAPCC).
Ndeti responded to threats issued by CS Kuria over looming evictions of squatters from EAPCC’s land, saying the land belongs to the residents of Machakos residents and the CS should cease planning for it.
Ndeti further accused Kuria of arrogance for planning to initiate such a move without consulting area leaders and continuing to issue threats to her should she stand between the CS’s move.
Read: Moses Kuria Makes U-turn On Mitumba Ban After Uproar
“We aren’t going to allow that, Moses Kuria. We don’t fear you. He talked and sent me the video, I’m not scared of you,” said Ndeti.
“I heard someone speaking yesterday about our land. I want to tell Moses Kuria, please, you have just been given the position of a Minister. Before you start talking down on us or commanding us, come and sit down with us and know where the problem is,”
She added that the mining company owes the people of Ukambani the land, and it should go back to them once the mining exercise is complete.
“As Ukambani residents, we gave them the land to mine on, community land. They ought to return the land to the community after mining,” she said.
On November 9, Moses Kuria accused Ndeti of planning to hamper the eviction process in a bid to protect a few individuals, comparing her actions with those of other counties that have ceded land to the government to initiate development projects.
Read: Why Moses Kuria Will Never Win Mitumba Battle Against Kenyans
“I am not in a mood to fight, I have fought enough in my life, but when counties which have taken the wrong turn in the manufacturing and export agenda start to lag behind others, do not blame it on witchcraft,”
“When some counties are giving me land to do common user facilities, others are saying that they want to encourage squatting on public land and that difference will start to show,”
Kuria says that he wants to use the disputed land to construct an export-exclusive airport for Kenyan products.
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