He said the Ministry of Finance, which is headed by political rival Uhuru Kenyatta, had prioritised the resettlement of IDPs from one community, leaving out other landless Kenyans.
"I wonder why Mau settlers have been left out of the resettlement programme yet IDPs and other landless people from one community are being resettled," said the PM.
The PM said if he had enough money for resettlement of landless people he would do it across the board to avoid discrimination.
But when he was sought for comment, Uhuru instead blamed the Prime Minister for evicting people from Mau Forest water tower, and the Ministry of Lands for not resettling all IDPs.
Shifting blame"The PM should not forget he opposed the resettlement of the Mau people. It was President Kibaki who eventually acceded to their resettlement," said Uhuru.
He said it is the Ministry of Lands headed by James Orengo that is responsible for the resettlement and asked the PM to let the Ministry of Finance do its business.
He said Raila should ask Orengo why his ministry was sitting on billions of shillings for resettling IDPs.
He, however, clarified that Sh1 billion had been budgeted for in the supplementary budget for the resettlement of Mau IDPs, which Parliament is yet to approve.
But Raila, who was speaking at Kapkatet in Kericho, said the evictees have continued to suffer in makeshift camps due to failure by the Treasury to release money meant for their resettlement as the Government promised.
He absolved Orengo from the blame that he was withholding money for the purchase of land to resettle the evictees.
"I want to set the record straight that money meant for the resettlement of Mau evictees is being held at the Treasury and those pointing accusing fingers at Orengo or the Ministry of Lands were looking for a scapegoat,’ he said.
Roads Minister Franklin Bett set the ball rolling when he hit at some politicians who he did not name for using the Mau issue to fight Raila.
"If the money has not been released from the Treasury we want to know why the money is being withheld and by whom and for what motive," he added.
The minister said he would write to the Treasury formally to complain and to know if the money had been released.
Raila said the eviction of families from their farms in Mau Forest two years ago was a set up by his political enemies.
He claimed on Saturday in Kericho County that the plot was hatched to lock him out of the 2012 presidential
Playing politics with MauHe said it was unfortunate that a clique of politicians was peddling falsehoods about him and yet the same leaders endorsed the eviction of the Mau families in the Cabinet. The same ministers also voted to ratify the decision in Parliament, citing reclamation of the water tower as a national priority.
Raila was the chief guest during the funds drive in aid of businessmen based at Kapkatet trading centre, who lost property worth millions of shillings during a fire.
The fire gutted down their business premises and residential houses three weeks ago. The funds drive raised Sh1.6million.
The PM was accompanied by Bett, Assistant Ministers Beatrice Kones (Home Affairs) and Magerer Langat (Energy), Sotik MP, Joyce Laboso, and Kipsigis Council of Elders chairman, Josiah Sang.
Others were former Sotik MP, Anthony Kimetto, Western Rift Regional Commissioner Bernard Leparmarai, chairman of Poverty Eradication Commission General (rtd) John Koech, and several councillors from Bomet and Kericho counties led by Litein Town Council chairman, Julius Tonui among others.
Raila arrived in a helicopter at Tengecha Boys High School at 10am, and toured the school to assess the damage caused by another fire incident two weeks.
The fire destroyed 11 classrooms and other school property worth Sh5 million.
The PM donated 565 corrugated iron sheets worth more than Sh1.5 millions for the reconstruction of the school.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment