Power struggle stalk ranching company

Githunguri Constituency ranching company has become the latest to be stalked by disputes. Controversy has marred Mbo-I-Kamiti land buying company in Kiambu and Kihiu Mwiri in Murang’a.

Githunguri Constituency ranching company is turning to a gangland for its officials after one of the directors was killed a fortnight ago in what some have linked to leadership competition.

Mr John Waweru, 42, was shot dead at Zimmerman estate in Nairobi where he had gone to drop one of his employees and his wife Eunice Muthoni.

His colleagues feared that unless the leadership row was resolved, there was a possibility of more bloodshed.

Police are investigating the matter but Ms Muthoni believes that her husband was killed due to the wrangles pitting the company’s leaders.

“He constantly told me that he and other directors feared for their lives and every time he would link his fears to the disputes at the company and he had even reported it to the police,” she said.

The company is at the centre of a dispute pitting two factions; one led by Mr John Maina and another by Ahmed Chege. Both have been running parallel offices, a situation similar to that of Kihiu Mwiri where nine directors were killed and four other disappeared in a span of two years.

Mr Maina, who claimed to have been elected in 2009, said Mr Chege’s camp was trying to assume power illegally.

According to him, on the day Mr Waweru was killed, he had reported to the Ruiru Police Station that he had received information some people linked to the leadership row had held a secret meeting, and were planning to eliminate them.

But Mr Chege rubbished claims that his camp was behind Mr Waweru’s death terming them as baseless and maintained that they were in office legally.
“The issue of leadership was solved a long time ago by the courts,” Mr Chege said.

He said the bone of contention was a pending Sh2.5 billion compensation of a land belonging to the company where the national government plans to put up a sewerage line.

Mr Chege said Mr Maina’s team “wanted to take all the compensation”.

Ruiru police boss Isaac Thurania said although there have been differences they had ruled these out as the cause of Mr Waweru’s murder.