Kitale expansion plan still on course, says Patrick Khaemba

Governor Patrick Khaemba has vowed that his administration would go ahead with plans to expand Kitale Town despite resistance from some MPs and members of the county assembly.

The leaders had accused the regional government of failing to consult over the matter.

“We have to expand this town because the current population of 200,000 has outlived its colonial plan, which was meant for about 45,000 people,” he said.

Kitale lies on 18 square kilometres of land, half of which falls under the Kitale Golf Club. It is one of Kenya’s oldest towns.

“Besides, 1,200 acres are under forest land. We are looking for 50 acres from the Kenya Prisons Service and are asking the Forest Department to cede 400 acres. We are also trying to get 20 acres from the railways corporation,” said Mr Khaemba.

Saboti MP David Wafula said the governor should urgently convene a stakeholders meeting to iron out all the pertinent issues that may hamper the expansion plan.

ENCROACHMENT ALLEGATIONS

The county’s ambitious plan, to expand the town had run into trouble after Mr Khaemba’s administration was accused of encroaching on Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC).

Mr Khaemba has, however, denied the encroachment allegations.

He, instead, accused a section of the county government staff and leaders from the region of taking advantage of a temporary bus terminus on KRC land to illegally acquire part of it and allocate it to some traders at a fee.

The county boss said he was seeking guidance from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and the Directorate of Criminal Investigation on prosecuting members of his staff and others engaged in fraudulent land deals.

“We never told traders to move their stalls to that site because it was strictly meant to temporarily accommodate the bus terminus,” said the governor during an interview at his Kitale office on Monday.

KRC General Manager Alfred Matheka had complained that traders had moved onto the firm’s land yet no such agreement had been reached with the county government.

“Some of my staff illegally acquired plots on the railway land, which they sold to unsuspecting traders. That was not our plan,” said Mr Khaemba.

He said the staff who sold the plots and the traders who fell prey to the scandal should be personally held responsible for the illegality.

“I am going to hand over the staff to the Directorate of Criminal Investigation and EACC for investigations. If anything, Kenya Railways Corporation officials will soon come to evict all the traders,” said the county boss.