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Friday, August 1, 2014

Politicians behind the massive Lamu land grab

By  | August 1, 2014

Most of them are however, not listed as directors of the companies having used their close relatives or associates to be directors/FILE
Most of them are however, not listed as directors of the companies having used their close relatives or associates to be directors/FILE
NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 1 – It has now emerged that owners of the 22 companies which allegedly grabbed 500,000 acres of land in Lamu are influential politicians and businessmen both in Nairobi and Mombasa.
Most of them are however, not listed as directors of the companies having used their close relatives or associates to be directors.
According to the sources who are well versed with some of the land transactions the entities behind the land include a prominent political family in Mombasa.
Others include a business woman from central Kenya and a well known Asian businessman who allegedly acquired huge tracts of land on the strength of cashing on the Lamu Port, South Sudan, Ethiopia Transport Corridor (LAPSSET).
Capital FM News has also learnt that the Criminal Investigations Department and the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission (EACC) have already written to the Registrar of Companies seeking to be furnished with the list of directors.
This follows a directive from President Uhuru Kenyatta who is on Friday morning finalising a meeting with Lamu leaders over the shocking grabbing of 500,000 acres of land.
And according to sources in the Office of the Attorney General files that contain the list of directors have already been put under lock and key so that the director’s name could not be publicized.
The source however intimated that the names could be accessed if one applies to the Registrar indicating that it was in the interest of the public.
On Thursday night President Kenyatta ordered repossession of half a million acres of land grabbed in Lamu, which he said was a major cause of the recent violence witnessed there.
He also instructed authorities to immediately commence an investigation into the ‘criminal conspiracy’ and the perpetrators brought to account.
“We have established that between 2011 and 2012, almost 500,000 acres which is about 70 percent of the land within Lamu County available for settlement was alienated to 22 private entities in dubious and corrupt means,” he said.
The Head of State who spoke after meeting religious and political leaders from Lamu said all the tittles would be revoked and all those involved arrested and prosecuted.
“I have directed the revocation and repossessions of illegally allocated land in Lamu County to commence immediately,” the President told a news conference at State House on Thursday night.
This criminal conspiracy, he said, “has disposed individuals and families living in this area of their land and fuelled the current insecurity being experienced in the region and frustrated our efforts to restore peace.”
Over 90 people have been killed in the region since last month, mainly shot or hacked to death by a militia group.
The Head of State said he had instructed the Cabinet Secretary for Lands, Housing and Urban Development and the National Lands Commission to revoke and repossess the land tittles with immediate effect.
The action followed an audit into land matters.
“This level of impunity revealed by the audit is unprecedented, untenable and unacceptable,” the Head of State said, referring to the land grabbers.
The 22 companies who are said to have grabbed land include,
1. Brick Investments Limited, LR No. 29110…………..40,014 acres
2. Brick Investments Limited LR No. 29113……………40,014 acres
3. Rusken International Limited LR No. 2911………….40,014 acres
4. Mat International LR No. 29115……………………..40,014 acres
5. Witu Nyangoro (DA) Company LR No. 29274 ……..79, 534 acres
6. Witu Conservative Self Help Group LR No. 281448 ..54,201 acres
7. Shanghai Investment Limited LR No. 29247 ………19,760 acres
8. Fincorp Investments (K) Limited LR No. 29246……41,990
9. Kaab Investments LR No. 29322 …………………..6,268 acres
10. Sheila Ranch Limited LR No. 29254……………..5,399 acres
11. Dynamic Trading Co. Limited LR No. 29067 …..22,230 acres
12. Savannah Fresh Fruits Exports LR No. 29067 ….24,502 acres
13. Mokowe Kibokoni Ranch Limited LR No. 29256…6,725 acres
14. Panda Nguo Boni Community ……………………….12,350 acres
15. Baragoni Boni Community LR No. 29275 ……..19,760 acres
16. Khalrala Ranch LR 29255 ……………………….12,276 acres
17. Cyberdom Investments LR No. 29322 ………….11,000
18. Baragoni Ranch
19. Enganani Ranch
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20. Lamu Investments
21. Amu Ranch
22. Maalim Ranch

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