Ruto accuses Orengo of delaying resettlement

By Vincent Bartoo

Lands Minister James Orengo is to blame for delayed resettlement of Mau Forest evictees and internally displaced persons, an MP has claimed.

Eldoret North MP, William Ruto, has accused Lands minister of withholding Sh3.6 billion meant for the resettlement.

After the eviction of squatters from the Mau and Embobut forests, Rift Valley leaders sought assistance from the Government to resettle them and the said amount was given, Ruto claimed.

“The Government gave Sh1.6 billion for the Mau evictees and another Sh2 billion for IDPs. About Sh3.6 billion was given to the Lands ministry for this purpose,” he said.

Languish in camps

But, Ruto says, almost a year later, the money has been lying at the ministry as the evictees continue to languish in refugee camps.

Orengo had confirmed the money was indeed allocated to his ministry, Ruto claimed yesterday.

“I called Orengo to ask him why the resettlement has not taken place. He tells me they are planning and following some procedures,” Ruto said.

Speaking to the Press on Saturday, the Eldoret North MP wondered: “What is being planned for more than a year when the money is there and [we have] abundant land to resettle the displaced?”

Ruto claimed some people in Government have technically delayed the Mau resettlement.

Efforts to get comment from Orengo over Ruto’s claims were fruitless as his aides said he was abroad on official duty.

Ruto also termed as political, the move by Mau evictees to allege that Rift Valley MPs were using their plight to champion selfish political interests.

The evictees, led by their chairman Philip Ngeny, also demanded to know the whereabouts of Sh6 million raised during a harambee MPs organised to assist them.

Pnu factor

Ruto said it would have been foolhardy for them to embezzle money meant for their people.

“It was Sh5 million and we gave it to the Kenya Red Cross to continue with the work they were doing to assist them (evictees),” he said.

Ruto also added PNU leaders into his list of people he accuses of being behind his political woes.

“I became a target since I started defending former President Moi from a vengeful and harsh Narc Government after he retired as President,” he said.

Ruto was last week suspended from the Cabinet, pending conclusion of a criminal fraud case against him.