BY DANIEL NZIA
MACHAKOS, KENYA: Machakos Governor Dr Alfred Mutua has said the planned visit by President Uhuru Kenyatta on Friday will go on as scheduled.
He clarified that the 2,200 acres of land where the Machakos County government plans to put up the county’s headquarters and the proposed city have been secured from the National Land Commission.
Dr Mutua said his government had no intentions whatsoever to take land belonging to the Veterinary laboratory as claimed.
“We are not interested in the veterinary farm land. Infact we are out to protect it because it belongs to the public and our primary duty is to guard public interests”, declared Mutua.
He was speaking when he took journalists on a conducted tour of the site his government is constructing the county headquarters and the proposed Machakos city.
Dr Mutua who was accompanied former head of civil service and secretary to the cabinet Ambassador Francis Muthaura and a host of county assembly members said the land he is using belonged to the defunct municipal council of Machakos.
“We are going to utilize the land reserved to us by the land commission to put up ksh.1.5 trillion worth on investments which include a new city”, Mutua said.
He admitted that the bone of contention between his office and the agriculture ministry is roads traversing through the veterinary land where 15-20 acres are involved.
“We discussed this matter with the head of civil service Mr Kinyua and agreed the disputed acreage cannot stop this mega project”. He added.
He wondered why those raising the matter hours into the Head of State’s visit were doing so now yet work on the land began eight months ago.
Dr Mutua lamented that wrangles have taken the country backwards for decades and should not be allowed to disrupt the projects that aim to create more than 3,000 jobs.
Muthaura commended Mutua for being visionary and called on well-wishers to support him in his noble idea of transforming the county into a place people would want to be.
