Kalonzo blasts State over ongoing Mavoko demolitions
Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka has blasted the government over the ongoing demolitions in Mavoko, Machakos County.
Kalonzo said over 20,000 families have been left in the cold due to the demolition of homes.
Speaking on Saturday during the thanksgiving ceremony for Kitui Senator Enoch Wambua, Kalonzo said churches and schools have not been spared either.
“I had to overfly the area kuona vile uharibifu umekuwa wa ajabu, yaani hata kama sisi tunaambiwa (The amount of destruction is astonishing, even if we are told) we are not shareholders but definitely we are taxpayers and we have a right to be served,” he said.
The demolitions are ostensibly to evict illegal occupants from land owned by the East African Portland Cement.
But the Wiper leader said the parcel of land was to be managed by the county government.
He took a swipe at the government for advocating for affordable housing and doing the exact opposite by making homeowners in Mavoko homeless.
“Sasa ile tax kidogo imebaki tunajengea watoto mahali ya kulala and you talk about affordable housing ile kidogo mwananchi amejenga yake unang’oa na unajiita hustler, hapana. Yaani ile bottom up ni kumaliza yule ako chini that is what we are being told by Kenya Kwanza.”
(The little that is left from taxation we build homes for children to sleep, you talk about affordable housing (but) what little citizens have built you demolish)
Kalonzo expressed sadness and anger over the demolitions and urged the residents to join forces with the Azimio la Umoja Coalition and stand together.
“What has happened in Mavoko is a siege in that they do not even allow leaders to take food to the children, we say sorry for that.”
The demolitions come just a day after a directive from President William Ruto to allocate land to the Athi River Special Economic Zone to boost its operations.
While speaking at the EPZ in Athi River on Friday, Ruto said the additional land would lead to the creation of employment for many youths.
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He said the State will buy the ‘idle’ land from Portland Cement.
“The land that has been found from Portland Cement, as the government we will buy a piece of it and we give it to the EPZ facility.”
The 4,298-acre land located along Mombasa Road, South of Athi River Township in Machakos County was contested in the courts.
Residents are said to have settled on the land after East Africa Portland Cement (EAPC) PLC finished its mining operations on it a decade ago.
However, a Machakos High Court earlier this week declared EAP PLC the legitimate owner of the land, LR No. 10424 located within Athi River in Mavoko, Machakos County.
It followed legal suit No. 74 of 2014 filed at Machakos ELC Court by some individuals and officials of Aimi Ma Lukenya Society against the cement grinder on the said land’s ownership dispute in 2014.
The suit had been consolidated with Petition No. 10 of 2018 with Julius Mutie Mutua, Alex Kyalo Mutemi, and Pascal Kiseli Basilo Mungui listed as plaintiffs suing as officials of Aimi Ma Lukenya Society.
East African Portland Cement Ltd, Chief Lands Registrar, and Attorney General were listed as the first, second, and third defendants respectively.
Lady Justice A Nyukuri, sitting at Machakos ELC Court on Monday ruled that the Plaintiff suit stands dismissed and struck out with costs to the defendants.
The ruling comes after about a decade of court battle between the company and the residents over ownership of the parcel of land.
Kalonzo blasts State over ongoing Mavoko demolitions
