Investigative report by Leo Odera Omolo
Residents of Awendo, a small farming town in Rongo District have appealed to the Government, particularly the Anti Corruption Commission of Kenya
[KACC}to move in with speed and stop the illegal allocation of plots.
They blamed Awendo Town Councilors for grabbing all the plots available including those earmarked land space, which were set aside and earmarked for public utility.
The Councilors, they said are working in collaborations*with the District Physical Planning Officer in Migori and one ex councilor who is said to be a confidant of the Prime Minister Raila Odinga. The Ex-Councillor has been heard bragging that he is indispensable because he is close to the ears of the MP and is operating against the law with impunity.
At stake, they said is the piece of land which was earmarked for both Primary and Secondary School in 1985. The land originally measuring 6.7 hectares has been grabbed and given to people in a corruptive manner. To date only 1.4 hectares is left for the two public institutions.
In June 2001 the matter was tabled in Parliament by former Rongo MP George M Ochillo-Ayacko and the Ministry of Lands and Settlement promptly responded and move with speed ordered for a complete the survey and a letter of allotment was issued for which the former MP promptly paid for the plot in cash amounting to Ksh. 10,806 to the Government for the fees of the plot.
It happened at the time when the then President Daniel Arap Moi had decreed and embargo on all plot allocations country wide. But Awendo Councilors acted in defiance and went on corruptively allocating plots to their families, friends, and relatives while others were sold for cash returns.
And even Awendo indoor market , a category E which the Council is supposed to built a close indoor market stalls and rent them out to traders were vandalized with impunity and illegally allocated to individuals who have since on ly constructed make shift structures on the market plots.Those who built temporary structures on the market site are said to have parted with thousands of shillings in kick-back.
Another area currently threatened b y the Town Councillors who mare said to in lust for land grabbing spree is the Awendo Hospital land. This important medical Institution is earmarked for future extension up to a sub District Hospital, but already there are symptoms that sooner or later there will be no land for its land expansion. The piece of land previously allocated to this institution is under serious threat of being grabbed.
The Chairman of Waware Development Committee Mzee Henry Oguta Ouma while thanking the Minister for Lands James Orengo for his bold action to ensure the school plot was intact also thanked the Minister for Public Services Dalmas Otieno who is the MP for Rongo for their understanding and prompt action.
Orengo had directed that the plot in question be surveyed and fenced off, and whoever had constructed any structure on it must not be compensated even one sin gle cent.
Mzee Ouma also thanked the Rongo DC who recently toured the area and instructed the Town Council to ensure that the School plot land is intact.He, however, bitterly complained that the Mayor and the Town Clerk were still dilly dallying with this firm instruction from the Ministry, perhaps due to the misinformation they are receiving from a power-broker and ex-Councillors who was in 2007 rejected by the electorate.
But Mzee Ouma severely criticized the Town Council Chairman Clr Johnson Owiro and the Town Clerk and the physical planner for being part of the problem. Both the Council chairman and the Town Clerk could not be reached for their immediate comments. zee Oguta warned the Ex-Councilor to stop forthwith the bad habit of dragging the Prime Minister’s name on petty issues of his own making.
Almost every land space in Awendo town has been grabbed with impunity. Nobody is keen or having interest in following the Town plan drawn 20 years ago which is clearly showing road reserves, public utility, petrol establishment etc.
The issue of Awendo Primary and Secondary Schools came up in Parliament for debate on June 13, 2001 and the Ministry issued an allotment letter on June 1th the same year
But despite all the legal implications, the newly elected councilors have continued selling the plots to individuals in total defiance of the law.
One person who should be blamed is ex Councilor James Ochieng Ruku who is implicated in the allegations of massive land scandal.
The plot which was originally marked 6.7 hectares is now a pale of its former of only measuring 1.4 ha. The rest has been dished out illegally to individuals and some people have even built permanent structures on the public utility plots. The community now want these illegal structures whether permanent or temporary demolished with immediate effect so as to facilitate and pave the way for the construction of the School project.
Ends
leooderaomolo@yahoo.com
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Date: Sun, 1 Mar 2009 05:11:22 -0800 [03/01/2009 07:11:22 AM CST]
From: Leo Odera Omolo
Subject: RESIDENTS CALL FOR KACC TO PROBE ILLEGAL ALLOCATION OF LAND PLOTS IN AWENDO TOWN