James Orengo turns guns on Charity Ngilu over land

Siaya Senator James Orengo addresses journalists at the Sarova Panafric Hotel in Nairobi on August 4, 2014. He denied land grabbing allegations. With him are Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale (left) and Suna East MP Junet Mohammed. PHOTO | GERALD ANDERSON  NATION MEDIA GROUP

In Summary

• Mr Orengo blamed what he termed as corrupt networks fighting back alleging they were getting back at him after he revoked some 850 titles.
• He however welcomed a directive by Mrs Ngilu that the government will revoke illegally acquired title deeds dating back to 1963.

By PATRICK NZIOKA
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Former Cabinet minister James Orengo on Monday hit back at the government accusing it of selectively revoking titles issued for land grabbed in Lamu County.

Mr Orengo at the same time exonerated himself from accusations by the Lands Cabinet Secretary Charity Ngilu that he abetted land grabbing by corruptly allocating public land without any regard to the laid down procedures when he was in charge of the docket.

He instead blamed what he termed as corrupt networks fighting back alleging they were getting back at him after he revoked some 850 titles while he was the minister for Lands in the Coalition Government in 2011.

At a press conference in Nairobi on Monday, Mr Orengo, who is now the Siaya Senator, distributed a list of who is who in the country whom he claimed were the owners of land whose titles were revoked for land spread across the country and whom he said had now regrouped to fight back.

Among those in the list include the Deputy President William Ruto and Labour Cabinet secretary Kambi Kazungu whose allocations he revoked with the land reverting back to the government or to the community.

“Cartels in the land sector are powerful, organised and have regrouped and are using the people who are now shouting on mountain tops to accuse others of grabbing yet they are the people involved in alienating land in this country from the rightful owners including in Lamu,” Mr Orengo said. (READ: Arrest Orengo and we expose you, Cord dares Jubilee)

PRESIDENTIAL UNIT

In a strange twist, PSCU directors, Dennis Itumbi, Munyori Buku, Eric Ng’eno, James Kinyua, Thomas Kwaka, Munira Mohammed, David Nokia and Emmanuel Talaam circulated an e-mail message to news rooms hitting back at Mr Orengo.

They accused him of resorting to dropping names of President Kenyatta and his Deputy Mr Ruto without giving any proof. The list that does not look exhaustive as the names of previous allottees to some of the revoked pieces are not given, contains names of people allocated the Lamu sand dunes as well as community land.

Among the names that feature prominently include that of politician Fahim Yasin Twaha and Abdallah Mohammed Abdalla whose identity could not be immediately established.

He challenged the government to implement the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission and the Ndung’u Reports saying it was the best way to deal with historical injustices on land.

Mr Orengo who was flanked by the Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale and Suna East MP Junet Mohammed however welcomed a directive by Mrs Ngilu that the government will revoke illegally acquired title deeds dating back to 1963 saying he would honour any summons issued.

On the Lamu land issue, Mr Orengo accused the government of dishonesty by not revealing all the people and families he said were responsible for alienating the locals from their land.

The start point would be to publish the names of all land owners with more than 200 acres in the county, he added.