Deputy President William Ruto puts land grabbers on notice, tells off CORD on blackmail plot

Meru, Kenya: Deputy President William Ruto has told off CORD over its threat to expose the Government in the event former Land Minister James Orengo is arrested over illegal land allocations in Lamu County.

The Jubilee alliance claims the irregular allocations in Lamu happened during the Siaya Senator’s tenure in the ministry.

Speaking at Laare market in Igembe North within Meru County Sunday, where he helped to raise funds for needy students, Mr Ruto said the Jubilee Government will not be blackmailed by the opposition or anyone for that matter.

“The Government is keen on ending the culture of land grabbing in the country and may contemplate taking legal action against land grabbers in the country,” the DP said.

He said the main aim of the Jubilee Government was to do what was right and constitutional and would not be derailed by anyone with intention to subvert justice.

Ruto questioned the rationale of how some people could come together and conspire to take over half a million acres of fertile land in Lamu, which is close to 70 per cent of the county, then cry foul when legal action is taken against them.

He said plan to blackmail the Government, which is undertaking its constitutional mandate was retrogressive and primitive.

“The Government will continue taking legitimate action against all land grabbers since it has decided to right a wrong,” he said.

He said there was no way one could get away with the kind of impunity perpetrated by some few people who grabbed land in Lamu.

Ruto, who was accompanied by Meru leaders, said that the Government will ensure what was stolen from the people of Lamu is reverted to them to benefit all squatters in the area.

For Miraa farmers and traders, the Deputy President said that the National Assembly had passed a Bill to amend the Agricultural Act, which will enable it to categorise miraa as cash crop, like tea and coffee.

He also said the Government had directed the ministries of Agriculture and Trade to help miraa farmers grow other crops to earn income following the ban imposed on khat in its key markets in Europe.

“We have already directed the ministry of Agriculture to ensure that they help farmers in Meru to raise money from other crops which will ensure that the gap that has been left by miraa is filled in the meantime before other markets are established,” he said.

He also said the Laare-Isiolo road will be tarmacked to facilitate easy transportation of miraa from the farms to Isiolo Airport where it will be easily airlifted to Nairobi.

Ruto said miraa growers will get support from the Government just like other farmers.

Leaders at the fundraising included Woman Representative Florence Kajuju, MPs David Karithi, Mpuru Aburi, Mwiti Iria, Kathuri Murungi, Muthomi Njuki, Benjamin Langat, Kubai Iringo, Mithika Linturi, Joseph Eruaki and Rahim Dawood.