Kericho leaders want 500 acres hived off multinational tea firms' land

Deputy President William Ruto (C) holds hands with Governor Paul Chepkwony (L)and Energy Cabinet Secretary Charles Keter (R) in a show of unity during a fundraiser for Seventh Day Adventist Church (SDA). PHOTO: NIKKO TANUI

Kericho leaders have supported Deputy President William Ruto’s call for  compulsory acquisition of land from two multinational tea companies.

The county requires between 300 and 500 acres for the expansion of Kericho Water and Sanitation Company (Kewasco), building county and national government offices and expansion of Kerenga Airstrip.

Led by Energy Cabinet Secretary Charles Keter, the leaders have however assured Unilever and Finlay tea companies, whose land is targeted, not to panic as the Government will follow due process in acquiring it.

“We just require a small portion for the expansion of Kericho town, which everyone agrees is congested and urgently requires expansion to accommodate the requirements of the rapidly growing population,” said Mr Keter.

Former National Social Security Fund managing trustee Richard Langat and Kenya Ports Authority director Fred Kirui, who are both eyeing the Kericho governor’s seat, said the land, which is leased to multinational tea companies, in essence belongs to members of the Kipsigis community and the Talai clan.

HUGE PROFITS

Mr Langat, who is from the tea-growing Bureti Constituency, said the locals should not be compelled to purchase the land, which was forcibly taken away from them by the colonial government.

“The leases for the pieces of land held by the multinational tea companies are about to expire. As a matter of fact, the multinational tea companies have already made huge profits off the land and the best thing they can do is surrender the required acres of land for expansion of Kericho town as their Corporate Social Responsibility programme,” said Langat.

Kirui said the national government should only compensate the companies for the tea bushes that will be uprooted, structures and other development on the land.

Kericho County Assembly Legal and Justice Affairs Committee chairman Andrew Laigon and Kapkugerwet ward representative Samuel Ngetich said they will ensure the bill for the compulsory acquisition of land is passed as ordered by the DP.

“We are going to follow the guidelines laid down by the by the Constitution in the compulsory acquisition of land for public use. We don’t foresee any hitches and it’s our desire that the multinational tea companies will co-operate with the national as well as the county government,” said Laigon.

Former Kipkelion MP Magerer Langat pointed out that although the multinational tea companies had surrendered 100 acres for the county’s agricultural showground, the land is not enough.

“Kericho is the heartland of agriculture and requires a large piece of land the size of Jamhuri park in Nairobi for the purpose of agricultural shows, among other social amenities,” said Langat