State should repossess grabbed ADC farms, minister says

By Mutinda Mwanzia and Beauttah Omanga

Land grabbed from the Agricultural Development Corporation (ADC) must be repossessed or the owners forced to pay for it at market prices, a minister says.

Agriculture Assistant Minister Kareke Mbiuki said the decision by the ministry to table the names of influential personalities who own the land was not politically motivated.

"When I tabled the names in Parliament my mission was driven by the desire to have the land taken back to ADC," said Mbiuki. He however proposed that individuals with land below five acres be spared and allowed to continue owning the land.

"The fat cats who own huge chunks of the ADC land must be kicked out," said Mbiuki. He said some of the repossessed land should be used to settle IDPs in the Rift Valley.

"It is immoral for individuals to own chunks of illegally acquired land when thousands of IDPs are living in squalor at camps," said Mbiuki.

He denied claims he had been under pressure from powerful politicians to expunge some of the names in the list he tabled in Parliament on Wednesday.

Land For Squatters

The list showed 423 politicians including sitting and former ministers, MPs, top civil servants, parastatal heads and military bosses were among those allocated the land meant for squatters.

On Friday, ADC Chief Executive William Kirwa confirmed Internal Security Minister George Saitoti had acquired land in one of the ADC farms.

Kirwa however exonerated Agriculture Minister William Ruto from among those named as owners of land at the ADC farms saying the name in the list was that of a different person.

Yesterday, Mbiuki who spoke to The Standard on Sunday urged those named in the list to clear their names or hand over the land to the State.

He said ADC lost over 60,000 acres of prime land due to the allocations, which were done at throw away prices.

 

 

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