Interior CS Joseph Nkaissery has ordered the arrest of directors of the troubled Ng’ati Farmers Co-operative in Maella, Naivasha.
This came as the CS cancelled the recent acquisition of 3,093 acres by Kengen from the land-buying company.
This will stem the violence that has plagued Maella for the last month, he said.
The move will delay plans by the power-generating company to explore geothermal power from the land it acquired two years ago.
Nkaissery and senior government officers visited the troubled Maella cooperative on Tuesday.
He said the Kengen deal was clouded by controversy and members of the land buying company were short-changed.
“We are told the land was sold for Sh505 million but the members only received Sh249 million and we are asking where the rest went to,” Nkaissery said.
The CS also directed the Rift Valley CID boss to question the five directors of the cooperative and get recorded statements on how the deal was carried out.
“The five should be investigated on how the land was sold behind the back of the members. If there is any irregularity they should be charged in court,” Nkaissery said.
He also directed that all suspects arrested over the violence be released on free bond.
The CS ordered the police to stop arbitrary arrests.
“I have further directed that all the closed schools in this area be opened with immediate effect and any parent disobeying this should be arrested,” Nkaissery said.
Naivasha MP John Kihagi said the deal between Kengen and the Ng’ati cooperative directors is questionable.
He urged the National Land Commission to investigate how the transaction was carried out.
Parliament is also following up the issue, Kihagi said.
“The elections of this land buying company have been postponed on three occasions by government officers in unclear circumstances,” he said.
Kabete MP Ferdinand Waititu accused senior government officers of benefitting from the land whose membership had risen from 581 to over 800.
He supported calls to arrest all the directors of Ng’ati, adding that they should be forced to return all the cash they received from Kengen.
“Every DC and other senior government staff who have worked here have gotten a share of this land and they should be investigated,” Waititu said.