Mr David Kigochi in his office.
By David Kigochi
Worth Noting:
- As Farmers Party, we acknowledge the demand by the residents of Mutomo Village in Gatundu South for compensation.
- We agree with them that the mode of compensation should be clear, having in mind the affected community neighbours President Uhuru Kenyatta’s home village.
- We acknowledge the concerns by the community that according to Kikuyu traditions and customs, it is a curse to sell ancestral land and the observation that the news of the Kenya Gazette notice came as a shocker to many of the residents.
- But we must appreciate that education is meant to empower the society and the construction of the university is one way of empowering Mutomo residents and indeed all Kenyans.
The Farmers Party, a fully registered political party in the country wishes to support the expansion of Mama Ngina University in Gatundu South as the benefits the locals will get are more than the distractions.
We wish to state that the Government led by President Uhuru Kenyatta, who comes from Gatundu South, has very good intentions in expanding the University.
The President, who will be leaving office later this year after serving a second term, wants to leave the constituency he represented in Parliament from 2002 to 2007, with major development projects, with one of them being the University.
As residents of Gatundu, we should not frustrate the Head of State in setting up the university which will help thousands of Kenyans, and generations to come.
We also wish to state that by naming the University after Founding First Lady Mama Ngina, her good work will remain in the minds of Kenyans for eternity.
We also acknowledge concerns by the over 2,500 families who had protested the acquisition of 100 acres for the expansion of the university.
We appeal to them to abide by the ruling in which they had sued the National Lands Commission (NLC), Mama Ngina University College, Kenyatta University, the Ministry of Education and the Commission for University Education (CUE), seeking to block the government from seizing their land on the strength some of the land owners are elderly people and that there are about 100 graves on the land.
Now that the court has made its ruling, dismissing the case, it is time to abide by the ruling.
As Farmers Party, we acknowledge the demand by the residents of Mutomo Village in Gatundu South for compensation.
We agree with them that the mode of compensation should be clear, having in mind the affected community neighbours President Uhuru Kenyatta’s home village.
We acknowledge the concerns by the community that according to Kikuyu traditions and customs, it is a curse to sell ancestral land and the observation that the news of the Kenya Gazette notice came as a shocker to many of the residents.
But we must appreciate that education is meant to empower the society and the construction of the university is one way of empowering Mutomo residents and indeed all Kenyans.
The benefits the University brings to the community include housing demand from students and staff and other businesses that will be attracted by access to it.
We also acknowledge that the construction of the university has cost the government over Sh400 million.
Our appeal to the government is to ensure there is no infiltration of the project by illegal settlers as seen in other government projects.
We reiterate concerns by Haki Group that residents are nervous that some impostors have processed fake title deeds to get the lion’s share of the millions that are likely to be used to compensate the residents. This should not be allowed to happen.
We appeal to the residents to furnish the authorities with copies of their title deeds, bank account numbers and their national identity cards so as to be speedily compensated.
All should bear in mind that the University spur development and boost education standards in the area.
Mr David Kigochi is the Farmers Party Leader and also a resident of Gatundu.
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