Azimio’s Move To Link Ruto To The Ongoing Athi River Demolitions Was Politically Motivated, Uncalled For
The Mt Kenya Times 
Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka
By: Joseph Mutua Ndonga
Worth Noting:
- During the Raila Odinga led Azimio demonstrations, the President read the same script. You are free to hold your protests so longer as you follow the law to the letter and spirit. Article 37 of the constitution was explicit that such demos ought to be peaceful. This means protestors must be unarmed and their representatives only allowed to carry written petitions.
- Back to the Athi River land, the orders of the court were very clear.
- The illegal occupants should vacate this land immediately. If not, the cement company should seek the help of the security arm of the national government to remove them.
I heard Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka hitting out at President William Ruto for allegedly issuing orders for the demolition of the palatial residential houses and public structures in Athi River.
He spoke at a time when the President was on an official visit to China.
While flanked by the Azimio leaders led by Raila Odinga, he stood his ground after one of the senior security officers were overheard asking him. Where did you get this information? It is wrong to drag the name of the President in this.
This is a matter that had gone through the due process of law. The court had finally ruled in favor of the Cement Manufacturing Company and we are here to discharge our constitutional mandate of enforcing the court order.
For two consecutive days, the officers thwarted attempts by Azimio leaders, who were accompanied by dozens of supporters, to stop the demolition. The officers would not allow them to access this area where the bulldozers were flattening the structures.
Interestingly, the area MP Patrick Makau was among those leading the Azimio brigade and would be seen exchanging fierce words with them.
A day later, the name of this MP would top the list of 30 key suspects summoned by Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) for grilling and to record statements.
The DCI had gathered the information linking them to the saga of conning the buyers of this land measuring 4,200 acres. If proved, this would constitute a serious criminal offence.
With this, one would be forgiven for noting. Azimio’s visit reeked of hypocrisy and insincerity and it was nothing but an act of shedding crocodile tears.
If not, one would not have expected them to be led by the main suspect.
Infact, this episode cast a picture that some of them could have been accomplices.
This matter has been in court for a long time. Why do you wait and rush at the last minute?
Reports showed that this con game started way back in 2012 when the first structures were seen coming up.
This was during the tenure of President Mwai Kibaki. Kalonzo, who was a senior official of his government, turned deaf ear to this matter.
The East African Portland Cement Company (EAPCC) had repeatedly warned members of the public against falling prey to the fraudster. Keep of this land. Those telling you to buy the plots here are land grabbers.
The Company disseminated this information through erecting bill boards and publishing numerous notices to the mainstream media.
Despite these warnings, tens of people turned to buy the plots sold by a company called Aimi, Ma Lukenya. They got lured because the plots were sold cheaply.
Initially, the cost of a plot measuring 50 by 100 stood at Sh50,000.
They failed to bear these cautionary words in mind. When the deal is too good, think twice.
Today the value of the same plot is excess of 1 million.
So, if Kalonzo truly cared for them, he should have advised them not to buy this land.
I heard a group of Kenyans saying that Mavoko MP, the main suspect, is his key ally.
If this MP funded Azimio campaigns, the question is. Did his contribution came from the monies he had conned those who had settled on this land?
I’m not holding brief for President William Ruto but I want to say this. The President has been walking the talk since he assumed his office. This is in regard to his fidelity to the constitution and laws of the land.
Noting about the critical role that the Judiciary was playing as the custodian of law and in administration of justice, Dr Ruto in various occasions minced no word in vowing to respect the decisions of the courts.
We have a robust and vibrant constitution and in light of this the provisions were very clear. You have a right to file an appeal if you disagree with the rulings.
President Ruto’s commitment to this course had been put to a big test through the cases filed by the President of the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) and Busia Senator Okiya Omtata.
Ruto’s response. It is your right to file your respective cases. The government will respond appropriately by filing counter arguments. The judges will deliver final verdicts. We will respect them and I would expect you to do the same.
During the Raila Odinga led Azimio demonstrations, the President read the same script. You are free to hold your protests so longer as you follow the law to the letter and spirit. Article 37 of the constitution was explicit that such demos ought to be peaceful. This means protestors must be unarmed and their representatives only allowed to carry written petitions.
Back to the Athi River land, the orders of the court were very clear.
The illegal occupants should vacate this land immediately. If not, the cement company should seek the help of the security arm of the national government to remove them.
It is worth noting that this matter had roped in Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua when he was the governor of Machakos. In a letter he wrote to the relevant arms of government he decried the grabbing of this land.
The information I have shows the land belongs to Portland Cement Company.
He urged them to commence the investigations and speedily sort out this matter.
It is worth noting that Moses Kuria had in November 2022 also advised them to leave this land. A preacher whose church is among the structures that had already been flattened recalled the words of then Trade, Investment and Industry CS. We never took him seriously. This has now come to pass.
Given this scenerio, the Kamba leaders had no justification to take on President Ruto. The attacks were in bad faith and politically motivated.
Majority of those evicted were Kambas. They were out to cast a picture of holier than thou that they cared for them.
For Governor Ndeti, I heard her lamenting that she had called President William Ruto before the demolitions started.
Why call him? He had nothing to do with these evictions. This was a decision of the court.
She wanted Dr Ruto to defy the court order.
President Ruto would not fall prey to her trap. Such a move would have been interpreted to mean he was preaching water and drinking wine.
For Machakos governor, I want to ask her. What efforts had you made before to stop the evictions? You knew the matter was in court. Why do you wait until the last minute?
If indeed Kalonzo and Wavinya cared for their people, I would have expected them to seek to have this matter sorted out of court.
This is by first talking with management of the cement company and persuading them to withdraw the case.
We would have expected to hear them seeking audience with President Ruto over the same matter.
It is also worth noting the dispute had been existence since the era of President Mwai Kibaki and his successor Uhuru Kenyatta. One may ask. Did they ever bring this matter to their attention?
I heard Wavinya saying that Kambas have many ways of dealing with those they consider to be thier enemies. She fell short of disclosing one of them is a curse (kithitu).
If you opt to do this, you should curse yourselves.
As leaders, you failed your people of Kamba nation.
This is not the first time we are seeing these demolitions.
When Raila Odinga was the Minister for Roads during the first term of President Mwai Kibaki’s government, he ordered demolitions of palatial residential houses and slums. He earned the name of bulldozer playing in the same league with his Tanzanian counterpart John Pombe Mukufuli.
The latter who later became the President had been given the same tag.
We also saw similar evictions taking place during the reign of President Kenyatta. The operations targeted those who had encroached on public land.
During these periods, I never heard Kalonzo opposing these excercise. Why now?
In Athi River, it was wrong to condemn the GSU police officers. They had not broken any law. The law allows them to ensure court orders are obeyed and respected.
Joseph Mutua Ndonga is a writer and political analyst based in Nairobi
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