Open letter to James Orengo, Minister for Lands
Posted by African Press International on May 4, 2008
Written by : Emali Wanyama (IP: 75.40.26.221 , adsl-75-40-26-221.dsl.rcsntx.sbcglobal.net)
The issue of land is Kenya is very hot, and it is said to be the course of the recent bad blood between certain tribes. If this is the case, and I don’t think it is, let us hope that now that we have an ODM minister something is going to be done about land in Kenya as a whole.
First of all, I wonder why nobody in the Kibaki government except Wangari Maathai tried to do something about the wanton destruction of forests. Today we have a government of fairly well educated people, even if we do have some form 4 dropouts, (better than having standard 2 dropouts). I know you are not the minister for environment, but as the land minister, I think it is your duty now to see that the destruction of forests comes to an end. You are a well educated man and we are hoping that if nothing else, you will at least be able to do this much for the country and for the region for the sake of us all, because we need those forests which are first disappearing.
Second ; If land is such a hot issue, why do we still have settlers holding on to thousands of acres of land and paying peanuts for it as land rent, while millions of Kenyans have no land. I hope you are not going to be like Kamunya and tell us that the agreement at independence was for them to hold the land for 999 years – that is an insult to all of us. Let these people give up half of it so some indigenous Kenyas can also have land, necause we can also afford to pay the government the same peanuts they are paying for land, which was Kenyan land before it was forcefully taken from them.
Third: Another very crucial issue is the land at the coast. Have Kenyans ceded Malindi to Italians and Germans? Even now there is a case where some Italians want to build villas on the coral reef; CORAL REEF! Who ever heard of such folly? Would they be allowed to do so in Italy? No! Can they do it in Tanzania, or Mozambique or any other country with a coast line anywhere in the world? No! This can only happen in Kenya, and I will tell you why. Ni kama watu wa Kenya wamerogwa. Bribes, it has all to do with bribes. All most officials and high ranking kenyans seem to think about is me, me, me. They get bribed left, center and right without any shame. When issues pertaining to these foreigners go to court they always end up getting what they want. We do everything the mzungus want here. We let them come over here to buy land, making the price of land shoot up so high that it is almost impossible for locals to afford it. Why can’t Kenyans say no more land to foreigners!
And the worst thing about it is they come here, buy land, settle, invite their friends who come here, buy land, settle and it goes on and on. Soon they start treating the locals as if we are nothing, so much so that in some beaches they don’t want to see a black face except the man who is sweeping and picking up takataka. When will all this end?ODM has come into the government with promises of better governance and better things. Can they please start with putting a stop to foreign domination in Malindi, and as you ask for IDPs to be settled in other places, look also at the issue of the settlers who have been allowed to own land, paying Kshs 4.50 an acre a year for 999 years. Show us that ODM is different!
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