Ruto answers Raila on issuance of titles

By Luke Anami

KENYA: Deputy President William Ruto on Sunday differed with former Prime Minister Raila Odingaover whether the President was right to issue land title deeds.

On Saturday during the homecoming ceremony for Butere MP Andrew Toboso, Raila said the President had no business issuing title deeds, saying this was the work of a clerk.

Raila said the Constitution had given  powers to the National Land Commission to handle all land matters and taken away powers to allocate land from individuals; both the Land Commissioner and the President, Raila said.

“So now we have a Land Commission which is under Mr (Mohammed) Swazuri. The Minister for Lands should stop walking around with papers that he is giving to the land title deeds. That is the work of a clerk and not that of a president.

And the ex-PM posed: “How can the President issue title deeds? So what will a clerk do? Land that was grabbed should be returned to the people and if the President was doing that, it will be different.”

But speaking on Sunday at Butali Sugar Factory in Kabras, Malava Constituency, Ruto dismissed Raila saying the Jubilee government has an obligation to issue land title deeds to Kenyan citizens. “That gentleman ofvitendawili (referring to Raila) said yesterday that issuing land title deeds is the work of a clerk. Even if it is the work of a clerk, a clerk is also a human being,” Ruto said.

In stitches

He added: “And if it is the work of a clerk that will enable citizens to hold land title deeds, the President should proceed and carry out that work of a clerk. If that is the work of a clerk, we are happy to do that kind of work.”

He said the over 60,000 title deeds were lying in the offices when Raila was PM and wondered whether the government then did not have clerks to issue them out. “We must say the truth. And the truth shall set you free,” Ruto, who left the crowd in stitches, said.

The Deputy President also called for extension of Comesa safeguards to protect the sugar industry and asked millers to pay the farmers on time. He was accompanied by MPs from Western and Rift Valley regions, Ms Rosemary Mkok, chief executive Kenya Sugar Board and the Butali Factory managers.

Meanwhile, leaders from Western Kenya have vowed that they will push for a referendum until when government will accept and see the need for it. On Saturday at Chavakali High School grounds in Vihiga County during the thanksgiving ceremony of Vihiga Senator George Khaniri, the leaders said that a referendum was the only way to save devolution.

“The wish of every right thinking Kenyan is to see devolution work. And it can only work well if it is properly funded,” said Musalia Mudavadi, UDF party leader.

Nairobi governor Evans Kidero, Vihiga deputy governor Caleb Amaswache, and Mudavadi were present.

Others included Senators Anyang’ Nyong’o (Kisumu), Boni Khalalwe (Kakamega), Omar Hassan (Mombasa), MPs Alfred Agoi (Sabatia), Charles Gimose (Hamisi), Yusuf Chanzu (Vihiga), Emmanuel Wange (Navakhalo) and Vihiga County reps who vowed to push for a referendum.  

— Additional reporting by Eric Lungai

http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/?articleID=2000092508&story_title=Kenya-ruto-answers-raila-on-issuance-of-titles