Murang’a residents protest after county government buys land for Sh39m per acre

Murang’a residents Monday held demonstrations across the county after reports that reports that the county bought a 10-acre piece of land in an arid part of Murang’a for Sh390 million.

The protesters walked from Mukuyu to Murang’a Town but were blocked from entering the county government headquarters by anti-riot police officers who had camped outside the gate.

Though they raised different issues, the demonstrators were irked by reports of the land purchase which translates to Sh39 million per acre.

“There is nowhere in this county where land can cost Sh10 million an acre. This is theft and plunder in a grand scale,” said Mr James Irungu, a director of Space for All Kenyans, a lobby that was leading the demonstrations.

VALUED AT SH190 MILLION

He said the land, which is along the Kenol-Kabati road, is valued at Sh190 million.

The peaceful demonstrators left and walked to the office of Murang’a County Director of Public Prosecutions where they handed over their petition to an official at the DPP’s office, Mr Solomon Njeru.

Mr Irungu said they had given the DPP 10 days to act, failure to which they will instruct their lawyer to institute private prosecution against the Murang’a governor.

Another resident, Ms Betty Maina, accused the governor of compromising the county assembly.

“Anyone but Wa Iria,” she shouted.

But Governor Mwangi Wa Iria blamed the demos on Senator Kembi Gitura and Kigumo MP Jamleck Kamau accusing them of planning the protest.

The governor also said that he will sue Senator Gitura for allegedly forging a document and presenting it to the Senate.

In a twist of events, Mr Wa Iria revealed that he might consider selling off the controversial land in order to end all the hullabaloo about it.

Last week, Mr Wa Iria and Mr Gitura clashed at the Senate when the senator raised the issue about the land.

The governor accused Mr Gitura of tabling forged documents, claims which the senator denied.