Officials named in a Sh2.7 billion Kenya Railway land sale
have come out to dispute claims of fraud in the deal.
A faction in the Dupoto Dafur Settlement Welfare Society
said the claims are misleading.
They said they will respond decisively to the claims when
called.
“Issues relating to land acquisition are handled between the
acquiring entity and property owner(s)/ trustees.”
“The State Department for Lands and Physical Planning is only invited when processing the transaction and registering the interests upon parties agreeing and the transaction closed,” the group said in a statement read by Likam Ole Kiambu, the group chairman.
They added that the State Department of Lands and Physical
Planning does not receive or handle any monies for compensating owners of land
taken over.
“Further, PS Nixon Korir has no role in appointing lawyers
for private parties, a fact the complaints know very well. The claim against
Korir is blackmail.”
They added that some of those making claims have been pushing the
trustees of Dupoto to pay them huge sums of money for a transaction they did
not undertake.
A faction led by a lawyer is among those making the fraud allegations
on the land.
The matter is already in court, and an order has been issued
to restrain some of the parties in the saga from propagating innuendoes and
defamatory statements against PS Korir.
The statement said peddling falsehoods against public
officials not only hurts the targeted individuals but also damages the
trust the public has in institutions.
The faction which is behind the sale had earlier dismissed
claims by another one in the group alleging misappropriation of money meant for
compensation for their land.
This follows an earlier claim by another group that called
for investigations into several individuals over the alleged misappropriation
of Sh2.7 billion meant for their compensation following the acquisition of
their land in Embakasi South.
A faction called Dupoto Dafur Settlement Welfare Society
wrote to various government agencies to dispute earlier claims by their
colleagues in the scheme.
Three officials said in the letter dated March 13 that they
represent many other members of the scheme.
“That none of our registered members were at any time illegally
and/or forcefully evicted from our land in Embakasi as alleged in the aforesaid
letter. That our settlement scheme voluntarily and lawfully sold its land to
the Kenya Railway Corporation with the full consent and knowledge of all the
registered members on a willing buyer and willing seller basis.”
“That our registered members moved out of the land willingly
and without any coercion, threats, or force and therefore were not illegally or
forcefully evicted as alleged. That no public funds or any funds meant for our
scheme or its registered members were lost, embezzled or misappropriated, and we
have no claim against the Kenya Railway Corporation,” the letter said in part.
They added that all the allegations made in the aforesaid letter
are therefore malicious, baseless, unfounded and mere fabrications.
“That we, the officials and our registered members, are
willing and ready to give further information or clarify any issue at any time if
called upon.”
The letter was signed by Likam ole Kiambu (chairman), John
Karu (secretary) and Victor Ochieng (treasurer).
The letter was received by the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission and the Director of Criminal Investigations.
In 2024, the members filed a case in the Environment and
Lands Court seeking to stop KRC and the National Land Commission (NLC) from
making any payments related to the compulsory acquisition of their land.
They argued that despite relocating with the promise of
receiving their compensation, they had not been paid the remaining amount. The
case was later withdrawn.
