Editor's Review

The move comes after CS Kuria said he will evict some people from land he said belongs to a state company.

Machakos Governor Wavinya Ndeti has taken a swipe at Trade, Investment and Industry CS Moses Kuria over a controversial parcel of land he said is a product of the East African Portland Cement Company, owned by the government.

Addressing a function on Wednesday, a day after Kuria attended a function at the cement company and warned of looming evictions of people he called squatters at the land, Ndeti said that won't happen.

"Mimi nilisikia mtu jana anaongea, anasema mashamba yetu. I want to tell Moses Kuria, please you have just been given the seat of a Minister. Before you start talking down on us or commanding us, come and seat down with us and know where the problem is," Ndeti said. 

Machakos Governor Wavinya Ndeti. PHOTO | FILE

The governor said the CS shared with her a video of his remarks about the looming evictions and when she tried to call him he refused to pick up his calls.

"We aren't going to allow that Moses Kuria, we don't fear you. He talked and sent me the video, I'm not scared of you. I tried calling him he refused to pick up my calls, " Ndeti said.

The Governor told the CS that he was being misled on the issue of the land adding that the land belongs to the community.

He said the community gave its land for free for mining and it should therefore be reverted back to them upon completion of mining.

"Those cheating you, the people who work at EAPCC are the land grabbers. They are the ones stealing our land," she said.

She added:

"As Ukambani residents we gave them the land to mine on, community land. They ought to return the land to the community after mining. But instead went and took loans with it, now they are selling it" Ndeti said.