Naivasha MP John Mututho addresses internally displaced persons at Mumoi Farm on December 25, last year. PHOTO/ FILE | NATION
By JULIUS SIGEI jsigei@ke.nationmedia.com AND BILLY MUIRURI bmuiruri@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted Friday, January 6 2012 at 22:30
Posted Friday, January 6 2012 at 22:30
IN SUMMARY
- Controversy revolves around a 4,500-acre parcel of land on the border of Subukia and Rongai constituencies where powerful figures wanted displaced people from Mawingu camp resettled
A member of Parliament and a leader of internally displaced persons are at the centre of a controversy surrounding the delayed resettlement of IDPs.
Behind the war of words between Naivasha MP John Mututho and the national chairman of IDPs, Mr Peter Kariuki, is the making of a scandal that could have led to loss of millions of shillings in taxpayers’ money.
The genesis of the clash could be linked to the forthcoming contest for the Nakuru County governor’s post in which Mr Mututho has declared interest.
The controversy revolves around a 4,500-acre piece of land on the border of Subukia and Rongai constituencies where some powerful individuals wanted IDPs from the Mawingu camp resettled.
The scandal, which began to take shape in May last year, has sucked in an adviser at State House, a land broker and a woman who is said to work in the Office of the President.
Financing leaders
Correspondence shows the four regularly contacted Mr Kariuki over the land, with Mr Mututho at one point financing leaders of IDPs to the site in Subukia. It is to this land that he ferried IDPs to forcibly occupy.
The MP has confirmed that he was behind the invasion of the Mumoi Farm.
He has threatened to organise more IDPs to occupy the land, which was expected to accommodate 2,000 households.
Some of the correspondence border on intimidation, with the staffer in the Office of the President insisting that “State House was ready to buy the land”.
At one time, Mr Mututho threatened to have Mr Kariuki arrested for sabotaging the resettlement plan.
“I was promised Sh20 million if I wrote a letter to the President okaying the purchase of the land. However, the land is not arable and there was a lot of pressure from the MP and the three to agree to the deal,” Mr Kariuki revealed.
It is when this deal failed to materialise that the MP and Mr Kariuki started the altercation.
This week, the MP tabled documents by a section of IDPs accusing Mr Kariuki of selling food meant for them.
In minutes from a meeting held on August 17, last year, at the Shalom Ark Mawingu camp, the IDPs claimed about 400 bags of maize and 100 bags of beans were not accounted for every month.
“Mr Kariuki and a few of his committee members pocket around Sh1.8 million every month after they sell the food,” the MP claimed in an interview.
An IDPs’ meeting chaired by Mr David Thiong’o disputed the claim they have “refused to be settled by the government by rejecting several land offers”.
The MP further claimed Mr Kariuki owns three vehicles and some developed property in Thika and Nakuru.
However, yesterday, Mr Kariuki rebuffed Mr Mututho’s claims, saying he had no evidence linking him to ownership of any property.
“The MP has been a master in getting ‘confidential documents’ from high places about serious corruption. How difficult is it for him just to obtain and show the log books and titles of the property held by a small man like me? He is just playing selfish politics,” Mr Kariuki charged.
He however admitted that he drives a Toyota Surf “bought and owned by the IDPs for errands”.
Mr Thiong’o’s group also questions the whereabouts of iron sheets donated by the Central provincial medical officer and the use of an ambulance for which the IDPs contributed Sh1,000 each for its purchase.
Mawingu camp holds about 15,000 people.
“There is no IDP who comes from his constituency here. He is not even the chairman of the parliamentary committee on IDPs, yet he is insisting on us being resettled on the Subukia land. He must declare his interest,” Mr Kariuki said.Enquiries by the Saturday Nation showed that Mr Mututho has never been to the camp, further raising suspicion about his renewed interest in resettlement of the IDPs.
The MP said the officials had complicated the issue regarding purchase of land for resettlement and were “keen to delay it as long as possible”.
“They went to big land owners who raised land prices beyond what the government offered so that the circus can continue for as long as possible,” he said.
He also threatened to expose a beneficiary of the scam who has allegedly built a Sh4 million house at Diatomite in Gilgil despite being an IDP.
He claimed Mr Kariuki has some militia in the camp who intimidate IDPs whenever they want to ask questions.
The IDP saga is the latest of a controversial resettlement programme spearheaded through the Special Programmes and Lands ministries.
Todate, Sh8.4 billion has been allocated to the programme with half of it yet to be utilised, according to the latest status report.
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