Investigative

Kitui’s Sand Story: How Ngilu and Kuvasila Minted Millions from the Sand Ban

In a gazzette notice dated 16th January 2018, the outgoing governor Charity Kaluki Ngilu banned the sale and transport of sand and charcoal in Kitui county.

The move was largely touted as a solution to environmental degradation in the region. However, what most people did not realize then, it was the birth of another cash cow for her, her ‘Super minister’ Patrick Koki Musau aka Kuvasila, and a few individuals on the top of her cartels.

The Kitui Newspaper sleuths have been undercover since then, and we boldly present to you the hidden secrets behind the sly ban and the scrupulous individuals involved in the sand harvesting racket in Kitui County.

The Tiva River is located barely 20km from the county HQs, along the Kitui- Kwa Vonza highway. To any guest in Kitui, this looks like the ultimate place the ministry of environment and natural resources should be most vigilant in enforcing the sand ban. However, this is the biggest sand harvesting hub, closely followed by Tyaa river in Mwingi Central, and the dubiously ‘gazzetted sand harvesting area’ of Kiromboko dam in Mwingi West. Here, more than 50 lorries leave for Thika ladden with sand, to the full audience of both the public and county enforcement officers! What’s even more; the cess point at the Kanyonyoo junction does not stop them either.

In one instance when our sleuths followed the lorries from the river to the Kitui-Machakos border at Kanyonyoo, we noticed that the lorries’ drivers only showed the enforcement officers manning the cess point a simple hand-filled reciept and they were let through without even an inspection. They were also escorted by a toyota probox number plates KDA 757L ferrying a handful of goons to handle any community unrests along the way.

The reciepts they produced read Sand Transporters & Environmental Conservation Group, and every lorry we saw had allegedly paid 1,000 shillings for ‘sacco cess’ at the loading zone in Tiva or Tyaa Rivers.

We did further digging into the Sand Transporters and Environmental Conservation Group, and what we found was even more intriguing:
There doesn’t exist such a community group, and there are no other active members in the ‘group’! Some of the purpoted members of the group are not even aware there exists such a group in the first place! Only one name kept popping up, one of Ngilu’s cartels’ kingpin from Kitui West named Kalungu.
For those who might not know who Kalungu is, well, the former Kithumula/Mutonga ward MCA is the hardy man for Ngilu. He pops up money when the county accounts have run dry, and there is a sum needed for either a funeral here or a wedding there. Of course, he is also among waziri Kuvasila’s main confidantes.

So, a question popped up: how did a lone ranger manage to be selling between 80 to 100 lorries of sand per day, in a county where commercial harvesting and transportation of sand is illegal?

It was not easy at first to connect the dots, but our moles at the ministry of environment and mineral resources came at hardy! We managed to lay our hands on a purpotted sand mining permit from the ministry, issued by one Josephine Malusi under instructions from the very minister or environment Patrick Kuvasila Musau. We also established that the minister owns and operates an account with Equity Bank on the name: Patrick Koki Musau, where the most interesting daily transactions happen.


The permits indicate that the lorry owners pay Ksh. 10,000 for up to five lorries per year. Funny though, the Finance minister Bernard Katungi however denied his ministry ever issuing such permits nor being aware of any cess being generated from sand sales since it was already illegal by the time he took over the docket from his predecessor Mary Nguli.


A source close to the governor, who sought annonymity whispered to us at one point that the Sand Transporters and Environmental conservation group; or should we just say Kalungu; bribe the minister up to 1 million for the permit, and a flat rate of 200,000 shillings to the governor for the illegal permits to be issued. The lorry drivers also have to pay 10,000 shillings per lorry per year to the environment minister too, to be allowed to cart away the sand.
In the sand pits, county enforcement officers and revenue collectors issue the ‘sacco’ reciepts to the lorry drivers for 1,000 per truck per trip. The collected money is then handed over to a representative of Kalungu, who takes it to his boss, who later banks waziri Kuvasila’s share in his Equity account.

Now here’s the sweetening pot: not one of the revenue collectors or enforcement officers can dare question the authority behind these drivers. On one instance, our sleuths questioned a senior revenue officer why they were allowing lorries full of sand through their cess point while they knew it was illegal. Somehow, the word spread to the cartel boss and minister, and it took both our driver’s speed-driving skill and the border police to save us from being lynched by hired goons in the earlier mentioned probox and motorbikes.

EACC, NEMA, and Environmental conservationists should dig into the forementioned Equity account and find all the transactions there.

Coming soon: how the Kitui County treasury has been losing your money

Cry for Justice for school girl defiled Two Years Ago

A primary school girl is still a long way from getting justice, with the court never having started hearing proceedings, over two years since she was defiled by her teacher. This here is her story:


A primary school deputy head teacher in Kitui County has been charged with defiling his Standard six pupil.


The former Kaunguni Primary School deputy head teacher, Waita Zone in Mwingi Central, Justus Muli, was charged with defiling a 13-year old schoolgirl within the school’s compound on July 31, 2018.


Mwingi Resident Magistrate, Israel Ruhu, granted Muli a Sh300,000 bond with a surety of a similar amount. The case is set to be heard on October 27.

The teacher faced an alternative charge of indecent assault by touching the adolescent’s private parts.


After the plea was taken, the family of the pupil raised concern why the accused was still serving as a teacher in a neighbouring Itheng’eli Primary School when he still faces the sexual offence case.


The girl’s father, Elijah Kilinge, said he hoped that in due course, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) will seal all the loopholes to ensure truth is not suppressed and justice is fulfilled.


The matter had failed to kick off after the police slugged for years in arresting and charging the accused.
Earlier, the DPP had turned down a decision by its lower Kitui County office to close a police case file of the complainant over flimsy excuses.


In a tense letter, the DDP said the decision by its lower office to order close of the defilement police case file No. 491/148/2018 against the juvenile was unjust.


In an equally verbatim letter, the head of children, victims and witnesses support at the DDP’s office, Caroline Kirimi, said it would be unjust to fault the complaint for not reporting the incident to her sister and opting to report to her parents.


“Long periods of silence cannot be construed as a suppression of truth or to mean that the incident did not happen,” Kirimi said in the letter.


She said there is sufficient evidence to prove all the elements of the defilement, the age of the victim, positive identification and a proof of penetration.
Ms Kirimi observed that section 124 of the evidence act allows the court to convict on the uncorroborated testimony of a victim if found to be credible.
Consequently, the DPP directed Kitui office to file a case of defilement contrary to section 8 (1) as read with section 8 (2) of the sexual offence act against the suspect.


“Proceed to prepare the charge sheet and present the suspect to court for plea taking,” Kirimi concluded.

Interesting enough, the case hearing also failed to begin on Monday 27th July because the defendant sought more time to consult with his lawyer,whom he claimed he had just acquired that same day. However, our reporter was able to unearth that the hearing date had been fixed three months prior to, and subsequent summons served, so the defendant had sufficient time to acquire himself legal representation and prepare his defense. Three of the four key witnesses are school going children, and with every postponement of the hearing coming with a heavy toll on the already squeezed education calendar.

Here are samples of the letters and charge sheet.

UMAA DAM DECORDED: Truth behind the Long Silence of the Stalled Kitui Mega Dam

Kitui county governor Charity Ngilu and Assembly speaker George Ndoto shake hands during a past event. The two have been MPs for Kitui Central during the Umaa Dam mega scandal.

On the slopes of the Kavonge Hills, barely 10km from the county head quarters Kitui Town, skeletons of stalled heavy machinery litters the shrubby overgrown banks of River Mukolekya; forgotten effigies of a ghost dam that cost the country billions of shillings in the past decade.
Designed in 1992, the 2500 cubic meters capacity Umaa Dam was conceived as the ultimate solution package to the county’s chronic water shortages.


Twenty nine years down the line and over 1.2 billion shillings spent, there’s nothing to show for it, and the county is still grappling with water scarcity and droughts due to poor rainfall.
Kitui Newspaper takes you back in time, to the very beginning of the mega dam project that turned into one of the mega looting sprees for powerful individuals in the government, who today drive around in posh cars and even government bodyguards.

Part 1: Politics, Politicians and the Paper

Construction works for the Umaa Dam project kicked off in 2007, after over a decade of political tussles between the former Kitui Central MP Hon. Ndoto, now current speaker of the county assembly of Kitui; and the then sitting MP Hon. Charity Ngilu, now the Kitui County governor.

The ground breaking was warmly welcomed by the locals, who had great hopes that finally their perennial water problems would get a parmanent solution. Things however didn’t go as smoothly as anticipated and the project stopped after barely a year, with the contractor citing lack of funds to complete the project.


From National Assembly archives, in a hansard dated 10/09/2009, while responding to a question by Mr. Kaino  on the status of the construction of Arror and Chesuman dams in Marakwet; the then assistant minister for water and irrigation Mr. Kiunjuri went on record stating: “…..the Umaa Dam will cost the government another Ksh. 700 million….”
In another hansard, while replying to the issue raised by Hon. Charles Nyamao and Kiema Kilonzo on the acute water shortages within the old Kitui District (now Kitui County), the then Minister for Water and Irrigation Charity Ngilu(current governor) went on record saying: “… We also have another project,namely Umaa Dam, that can serve those areas(Mutitu and Kitui Rural constituencies). Once the dam is complete, all these people will get water….”

Also, on Thursday 12tth May 2011, the then Kitui West MP Hon. Charles Nyamai raised the issue again in parliament, citing acute shortage of water in Mutonguni and Matinyani districts(National Assembly hansards).


Upon disatisfaction of the responses given on the floor of the house by minister Ngilu, and following allegations of corruption during the procurement process, whereby the assistant minister for public works Kiunjuri accused the Water and Irrigation’s minister Charity Ngilu of influencing the tender awarding; two engineers, Wilberforce Odhiambo and Zablon Oonge were hired as private consultants to investigate the matter and report to the Parliamentary Lands and Natural Resources Committee. The committee was chaired by then Gachoka MP Hon. Mutava Musyimi. (Read more of this in Part III: The Stall and the Law suits)

The contractor, Draft and Development Engineers fully pulled  out of site in the year 2011, two years after the project had stalled due to political and financial pressure. The contractor had been paid Ksh. 824 million earlier, but launched a claim demanding Ksh. 1.6 billion, and a further Ksh. 97 million for “works completed”, although in some instances, the contractor had only managed 20% of the contract specifications. The contractor also moved to court stopping National Water and Pipelines Corporation (NWPC) from evicting him from the site.

NWPC had decided to take over the dam and complete it, after the afore-mentioned private consultants disclosed that by the time they met the parastatal’s tender Committee, the contractor had already been pre-qualified. NWPC had declared that it could complete the project with a budget of Ksh. 824 million, plus a 15% index margin as allowed in the contract.
The Mutava Musyimi led committee however cleared Draft and Development Engineers to be “… responsible and capable of completing the works…(when they) evaluated his bid…”

Later on, in 2018, a report by the Government Parastatals General Manager for Construction Eng. Ali Hassan, presented to the National Assembly Committee on Environment and Natural Resources (chaired by Hon. Kareke Mbiuki) cleared the contractor for payment: after “…long-drawn negotiations and verifications, the 1.6 b claim (by the contractor) was eventually downgraded to Ksh. 536 million…” The amount was paid to the contractor in 2018.


The Mwingi North MP Hon. Paul Nzengu, who is currently a member of the committee visited the dam, in company of other Committee members, that same year. The report from their findings had still not been made public by the time of going to press, but that nailed the last nail on the project’s coffin, and both the media and political class shifted their focus to other matters; turning a blind eye to the apparent runaway embezzlement of public funds and a multimillion shillings ‘dam’ that can’t even hold a gallon of water today.

Could powerful figures in the government have been complicit to this mega scandal? Why would IEBC clear the then Water and Irrigation’s Minister Charity Ngilu to run for a gubernatorial post in the 2017 general elections, with all evidence of the role she played in the Umaa Dam plunder contained in the Kiunjuri Dossier which the government possesses? Find out that and more in the next episode;  Part II: Japhet Rutere,The Cowboy Engineer behind Mega Dam Scandals.

Stephen Kasolo Exposes Fortune Mwikali, Apologizes to Fans

Award winning Kamba gospel maestro Stephen Kasolo has apologized to his fans for the foul language he used in the audios circulating on social media, claiming that co- singer Fortune Mwikali provoked him to extremes with her insults.

In an exclusive interview with the Kitui Newspaper this morning, Kasolo shared exclusive screenshots of threats and insults by Fortune, that range from accusations of being gay to rather personal insults on his family and  his physical looks.
In one of the shared conversations, Fortune appears to be blackmailing Kasolo; and she further confesses of being ‘an agent with a mission that only prayers and real prayers can stop’!


“As a man of God and a born again christian, I feel obliged to own up to my audios and apologize to both my fans and fellow artist for letting anger get the better of me,” admitted Kasolo. “Am only human, and anyone would have snapped too, under the weight of such deep insults,” he added. “Even our Lord Jesus Christ once lost his temper too.”


He further called upon fellow musicians to be wary of singer Fortune Mwikali as ‘she is an evil agent who’s out on a mission’.


“We really need to get down on our knees and pray hard,” beseeched Kasolo. “This lady is apparently on an evil mission, and if we don’t pray hard, the devil will disintegrate our ministry,” he added.


Fortune Mwikali broke into the limelight after she did a collabo with Kasolo, and since then, the gospel maestro and Kitole hit-maker has nurtured her musical career till they fell out a week ago.

Below are screenshots of some of the insults and messages (Viewer discretion advised: Extreme Language and content!)

File Facts: Intriguing Revelations About Makau’s Case

On 7th February,2020 , the governor summarily dismissed the then CECM Environment & Natural Resources. The reasons for the dismissal were not stated.

Aggrieved with the decision, the CECM moved to the Employment & Labour Relations Court in Nbi and obtained orders barring the filing of the position until the matter is heard and determined. See a copy of the order below.



However, our sleuths have dug out and unearthed serious issues which transpired in the course of the hearing of the case.

First, forged affidavits were filed in court by Mbee Nzei, supporting the governor’s application to be removed from the case. This prompted the advocate of the CECM to refer the affidavits to a document examiner at the Cid HQs. The sleuths visited kitui and took signature specimens from the governor . Fearing criminal repurcussions, the affidavit and the attendant application were promptly withdrawn. See letter to the Cid hqs, Kiambu road.



The games of Mbee Nzei nzei did not end there. Whilst the matter was awaiting judgment and during the pendency of the stay orders, the regime filled the vacancy barely seven days to the day of judgment. This was strange for various reasons among them:
1. How did Mbee Nzei know that for sure the judgment would be delivered within the 7 days without delay? This is because a delay in reading the judgment would have automatically exposed the regime to be cited for contempt of court.

2. How did the regime know that the issue of reinstatement, which was one of the prayers, will not be considered by the court?

In its judgment delivered on 28/1/2021, the high court ruled that the dismissal was unlawful because due process was not followed and awarded kshs 1,005,000.00 plus unpaid leave. Aggrieved by this judgment, the CECM lodged an appeal in the court of appeal in March and served it on the regimes’ advocate on 15/3/2021. Incidentally, our sleuths have unearthed a letter written to the CECM, not from the Mbee Nzei advocate as the case should be, but from the disgraced CS, who was declared persona non grata by a court in Kitui, asking the CECM to collect the court award!

When will Mbee Nzei get proper counsel to avoid these gaffes?

The above information, among others can be obtained from both the high court and court of appeal files.

A copy of the letter written to former environment minister by the county Secretary asking him to collect his dues.
A copy of the filed appeal. Take note of the acknowledged receipt date(bottom right corner)

Prisoner mysteriously dies in Police cells, hours after officer succumbs to similar symptoms!

Saturday, November 21, 2020, Kitui. By Our Reporter

A Kitui Police Station cruiser responds to a past crime scene in Kitui town. The police are fighting hard to suppress news of a prisoner who succumbed to breathing difficulties while in their custody in the wee hours of the morning today. [File photo]

The Kitui County Security Council is fighting to suppress news of a prisoner who succumbed to breathing difficulties inside the Kitui Police Station cells today, in the early hours of the morning, just a few hours after an officer from the same station succumbed to similar symptoms!

The Kitui Newspaper sleuths have established that the prisoner had been in custody for several days, and had reported chest pains and breathing difficulties on Tuesday this week. However, it is not clear whether the prisoner recieved any medical attention or not.

The story took another twist however, when officers from the station drove the body to the Kitui Level 4 Hospital morgue and booked him only as a resident of Majengo, Kitui Township. According to mortuary reports, the body was brought in at around half past one in the morning, and the police never gave any further details as to the nature and suspected cause of death. They also omitted to mention that the deceased had died in their custody.

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Trusted sources have informed the Kitui Newspaper that an emergency meeting was held at the Kitui County Commissioner’s office between 3am and 6 am to deliberate on the matter. All the top security officers were in attendance, according to our sources.

Our investigations have revealed that the deceased had been detained at the Kitui Police cells, pending his plea for a defilement suit. The Kitui Township sub-chief Mr. Kabede, speaking to us over the phone, confirmed the news of the death; identifying the deceased as Mr. Abubakar Yusuf, who had been in police custody for some days prior to his death.

The Kitui Level 4 hospital mortuary staff have denied having any prior knowledge of the circumstances leading to Mr. Yusuf’s death, arguing that the police did not give them much details about the deceased, apart from the entry on the official morgue book that the deceased hailed from Majengo in Kitui Township. They expressed shock in the fact that such a mysterious death would just be booked as any other body, especially during this period of the Covid-19 pandemic.


“We don’t have PPEs, we don’t have body bags either,” disclosed one morgue staff who sought anonymity for job security’s sake, “In the unfortunate event of a covid-19 case, we can’t even safely handle the body here!”

Shock as Police Raid Kitui Slaughter House, Impound Dead Cows and Donkeys Awaiting Slaughter!

Police in Kitui town have this evening stormed an abattoir in Kitui town and impounded several dead cows and donkeys that were scheduled for slaughter.


The team, led by the Kitui county police commander Johanna Tunui, responded to alarms raised by good Samaritans who spotted the dead livestock being carted into the slaughter house, which was closed down by NEMA officials a week ago over environmental and health concerns.


Over ten people; including the official veterinary officer, medical doctor, and watchman; were nubbed during the raid.
Addressing the media after the incident, the county commander thanked the whistle-blowers for reporting the matter to the police, and urged the public to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the authorities.


The police had not yet established the owners of the dead cows and donkeys by the time of going to press. The slaughter house is owned and run by the County Government of Kitui.
We shall keep you updated on the story as it develops.

Continue reading →

BREAKING NEWS: Senior Officer Shoots Unarmed Man after Bar Brawl, As another Officer Accidentally Shoots Himself on the Leg!

Thursday, August 20, 2020, Kitui, By our reporter.

A senior police officer attached to the Kitui Police station has shot an unarmed man on the leg, after a nasty drunken fight inside a liquor store at the Kalundu Market in Kitui town this evening.

The officer, whom eye witness accounts have identified as Mr. Thuo, the deputy OCPD in Kitui Police station, drew out his firearm and shot the man on the hip, to the full shock of the public, a few minutes to the 9pm curfew time. The victim, whom we only managed to identify as Phillip; a well-known dealer in building materials in Kitui town, was carted away to the Kitui General Hospital in the police cruiser that responded to the scene after good Samaritans reported the matter to the police. Kitui Newspaper was unable to establish the motive of the shooting by the time of going to press, but eye witness accounts by onlookers who sought anonymity revealed that there was no physical confrontation before the officer shot the man.

“The bullet actually missed me by an inch as I was walking past the scene!” Exclaimed one witness, “It’s just a miracle am alive!”

In a related incident, a junior police officer is reported to have accidentally shot himself on the leg as he and his team rushed to respond to the scene of shooting. The officer, whom we only managed to identify as Maina, was allegedly alighting from the police truck when his gun went off, with the bullet injuring him on the leg.

Both the shooting victim and the officer who shot himself on the leg are currently receiving treatment at the Kitui General Hospital. However, we could not establish the fate of the officer who shot the unarmed man by the time of going to press; as he was discreetly whisked away from the scene after officers lobbed teargas at the gathering crowds to disperse them.

Police Appeal to Public to Help Identify Man Caught on CCTV Breaking into Shops at Ikanga Market, Kitui South

Wednesday, August 19, 2020, Kitui South. By Brian Peter

Detectives in Kitui are looking for a man(pictured above) who was captured on CCTV cameras breaking into a shop in Ikanga Market, Kitui South, last night.
The man, who is suspected to be behind a series of night break-ins in the region, was captured on a hidden camera breaking into one of the shops in the market, which lies along the new Kitui-Kibwezi road.


Click here to view the full CCTV footage
Authorities are appealing to any law-abiding citizen who can help identify the culprit from the tape to report to the nearest police station, and rest assured that their identity will remain confidential.
Alternatively, anyone with information that can help the authorities nub the criminal can get in touch with our investigative desk via WhatsApp, text or call on +254725052525

Freeze-frames of the culprit, captured from the CCTV footage.

Why the Controversial Self-made Youth Leader Moses (Munaa) was Arrested!

The self-declared Kitui County Youth Movement chairman Moses ‘Munaa’ Munyalo (front left) arrives for a function in the company of other Kitui county youth leaders. Moses was arrested today at the Office of the governor’s premises. [File photo]

The self-made Kitui County Youth Movement chairman Moses Munyalo alias Munaa was today whisked away in chains from the office of the governor by officers from the Kitui crime division, an incident that has left the public with raised eyebrows.

Reliable sources have confirmed that indeed Munyalo was arrested and is currently locked up at the Kitui Police station. The Kitui Newspaper can authoritatively report the reason for the arrest to be assault charges. The charges were filled by the Kivou Ward MCA Hon. Maema, following an incident that took place yesterday at the Office of the Governor compound; where Moses allegedly assaulted the member of the county assembly. According to our moles, Moses roughed up the legislator and threw him out of the compound, accusing him of being an enemy of governor Ngilu.

According to eye witness accounts, hon. Maema, who is a Wiper MCA, was roughed up and heckled by Munyalo and a group of unnamed accomplices. The crowd was baying for his blood, saying that he has no business coming to the office of the governor while it was people like him and other wiper MCAs who were sabotaging Mama’s development agenda in the county assembly.

Efforts to reach Hon Maema for comment were unfruitful by the time of going to press, but a colleague legislator, who sought anonymity confirmed that indeed the incident happened.

“Mheshmiwa Maema has sworn to push to the end to ensure that he gets justice served,” confided the colleague. “It’s so draconian and achaic for any Kenyan citizen to be denied access to a public office, leave alone get assaulted, on the basis of their political affiliations,” he added sadly.

Munyalo, who goes by many aliases, ranging from Mtu wa mkono wa Mama, Commander, Chief of staff, etcetera; is not new to controversies. Undisputably though, he’s most popular for his carefree spendthrift escapedes around Kitui town’s entertainment spots.

Apologize and Quit or Face Voters’ Wrath: Kitui Senator Chides Ngilu

The Kitui Senator Hon. Enoch Kiio Wambua has called for the public apology and resignation of governor Ngilu, for what he terms as the governor’s failed leadership and endless counterproductive political scapegoating.

In a public statement today, Hon. Wambua accused the governor of neglecting her duties to the people of Kitui, instead indulging in retrogressive national politicking shenanigans whose intentions can only bring zero benefits to the poor electorate of Kitui.

“This is very unfortunate: Charity Kaluki Ngilu has essentially abandoned her duties as governor of Kitui County and opted to be a messenger,” the concerned senator mused, “Her new assignment is characteristically simple but very evil; try to stand in the way of H.E. Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka and scuttle any attempts to seal a working relationship with President Uhuru Kenyatta.”

Senator Kiio went ahead to dismiss the governor’s latest rantings, that H.E. Dr. Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka has an evil hand in the county assembly and has been deliberately using the wiper MCAs (who form the house majority) to frustrate her development agenda, as ‘…a shame from a person who personifies failure, political treachery and deceit.‘ He challenged Ngilu to come public with any evidence for such allegations.

“Ngilu must desist from dragging the name of Kalonzo Musyoka to her self-inflicted woes. If Ngilu really cares about the people of Kitui County, she must apologise to them for wastage of their time and theft of their resources by her administration and do the most honourable thing; resign.” Read part of the senator’s press release.

Senator Kiio termed Ngilu’s troubles as ‘self-inflicted woes’, drawing reference to the Finance Offices Fire incident that happened last year; and the pursuant report by the county assembly’s special committee investigating the incident.

“Last year, the County Assembly of Kitui adopted the report of a special committee investigating the cause of the fire that gutted Finance offices,” Hon Enoch Wambua revealed, “In the report, the committee isolated Ngilu, in her capacity as Governor of Kitui County, as the first person of interest and recommended that she be investigated.”

The senator further added that it was no longer a secret who Ngilu was working for, and that he wouldn’t look the other way as the governor looted dry the funds meant to benefit the people of Kitui county; simply because some ‘big shot’ was sheltering her from legal repercussions.

“We know who has been protecting her from facing the full force of the law over several and serious cases of corruption in her administration,” confided Senator Kiio.
“Both the messenger and her boss must prepare for a big shock,” He reiterated.

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: CHRONICLES OF FALLEN CO ENOCH NGUTHU:

PART THREE:

CO. Nguthu’s fall from grace is a case of the multiple-malady phenomenon; where a patient has so many prevailing health conditions that the autopsy can’t accurately pinpoint his course of death. As a matter of fact, the CO has made so many blunders and an equal number of powerful enemies during his short tenure in the office, that the odds stacked against him couldn’t see him serve another week more in that office! We have hand picked some of the biggest misdeeds for you. This is the third episode of the intriguing tale of how pride sunk Enoch Nguthu’s Titanic:

4. Love, Hate, Betrayal and a bad Best Mate…

The story of Enoch Nguthu is a telenovela in its own full rights.
Our Alejandro, apparently, kept a secret steamy clandestine affair with a senior flowergirl in the executive! And in the flames of such a romantic bonfire, he scalded both his and her careers in a foolish display of affections that can only be likened to an adolescent romance.
The CEO, in an agitated outburst a few days to the sacking and cabinet reshuffles, ranted about the two love birds turning her offices into a brothel.
This is where it gets even more intense; she spilled the beans infront of the entire cabinet, where even his new boss was present!

Flash back, a few days before the new finance minister was appointed, he and Nguthu had fought at a local entertainment joint, allegedly over the very female companion! It took the efforts of the governor’s private security wing nicknamed ‘Men in Black’ to separate the testosterone-charged blows and kicks between our boy and his new boss.

Apparently, our flowergirl had been doubling up our Alejandro and his later-to-be new boss!
When mother superior broke the glass, the rivalry between our boy and his boss was rekindled.

Sources inside the finance department revealed that bitter exchange of words(and possibly threats) was overheard inside the new  finance minister, Ben Katungi’s office in the days to follow.
Waziri Katungi, who it’s worth noting that he earned the appointment through his closeness with the governor, vented his ire through insisting that if Ngilu didn’t fire Nguthu, then he’d resign pronto.

In part one, I narated how the former CECM Mary Nguli also expressed the same sentiments in her resignation letter.
This, seconded by the fact I also mentioned in part two, of how Nguthu insulted and threatened Blackie; the governor’s most candid advisor; left the governor with no choice but to fire the brat.

Missed part one and two of The Chronicles? Follow the link below to read it now:

https://kituinewspaper.wordpress.com/2020/05/01/chronicles-of-the-fallen-co-enoch-nguthu-episode-2/

By and by, the odds were already stacked high against our boy since day one in his office.

Well, the wise say: show me your friends, and I’ll tell you the type of man you are. Enoch Nguthu, save for the telenovela, had only one friend and close confidante: the CO ministry of Environment and Natural resources; Mr. Clement Munyithya. Clement has of late been the only link between the disgraced CO and a section of bloggers who have been busy with frail attempts to defend Mr. Nguthu in social media platforms.
This best mate to our boy also has a history of serious issues. He was transferred from the ministry of Public Administration to the ministry of environment due to a character that’s almost akin to Nguthu’s.
CO Munyithya, working in cohoot with known accomplices(a story for another day..),numerously tried to fix the Minister Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, a docket he was also in acting capacity as the CO, with the EACC. This enraged the governor to such a grotesque scale that she immediately ordered his demotion to the SEKEB Secretariat office in Machakos. 

However, nature came to the rescue of our guy, when the proposed candidate for the CO Trade unfortunately passed away, and the CO Environment Mr. Kimanga had already been transferred to replace him in the Public Administration docket.

Although this left Ngilu no choice but to transfer the guy to the vacant post, she couldn’t let it go without teaching our boy some manners. Many are aware of a story some time last year, when Ngilu’s closest goon populary known as Mbisi, stormed into  Clement Munyithya’s office and bashed in his face severally.

With such friends, and such a past, and such an attitude; it’s even sheer luck than fate, that CO Nguthu survived in that office for that long…

(Catch Part Four of the Chronicles right here…. #OneDayOneChronicle )

Coming tomorrow in the next episode of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: CHRONICLES OF FALLEN CO ENOCH NGUTHU: The Grand looting of revenue, the money deals that never closed, and ‘the final straw that broke the camel’s back’…. Exclusively in www.kituinewspaper.wordpress.com

PART II: CHRONICLES OF THE FALLEN CO ENOCH NGUTHU

CO. Nguthu’s dismissal is a case of the multiple-malady phenomenon; where a patient has so many prevailing health conditions that the autopsy can’t accurately pinpoint his course of death. As a matter of fact, the CO has made so many blunders and an equal number of powerful enemies during his short tenure in the office, that the odds stacked against him couldn’t see him serve another week more in that office! We have hand picked some of the biggest misdeeds for you. This is the second episode of the intriguing tale of how pride sunk Enoch Nguthu’s Titanic:

Incase you missed Part One of this sizzling story, read it here:https://kituinewspaper.wordpress.com/2020/04/30/pride-and-prejudice-chronicles-of-the-fallen-finance-c-o-enoch-nguthu/

3. The Queen Trades the Pawn

The public is fully aware of the deep-rooted enemity between the governor and the County Assembly speaker Hon. George Ndoto.
In a house where the majority of members belong to the Wiper political Party, the same party that fronted Speaker Ndoto for the post; Ngilu’s minority party Narc has had no voice. Supplementary budgets have been shot down in an instant; impeachment motions tabled and passed without much hustle; and what Ngilu has termed as deliberate sabotage by the assembly.
Well, to comprehend how deeply rooted the enmity between Ngilu and Ndoto goes, one has to first dig back into well hidden history, that spans back to the youthful years of the governor ( but that is a story for another day).

It is a well-known fact that the executive has never had anything smoothly go through the assembly without the governor striking a compromise with the MCAs; a thing that has mostly been calibrated in monetary value.

Given the recent history of underdevelopment in the wards, the MCAs have been desperate for a compromise; since the financial year 2019/2020 is nearing the end, and there’s no tangible developments in their respective wards. Again, there’s been a ‘financial drought’ among the ward reps: most of them who don’t have established side-hustles, have had to get by with their salaries only- salaries that haven’t been timely to recall.

CLIDP tenders, what in the previous regime had been a saving grace for the MCAs dried up in Ngilu’s era. As a matter of fact, apart from the recently awarded CLIDPs, the MCAs have only seen one more in the financial year 2017/2018. That well noted, the ward reps saw the recent CLIDPs as an opportunity to redeem their declining popularity in their wards, and a reprieve for their already dwiddling bank reserves.
Consequently, they either influenced the tenders to their own companies, or loaded to have ‘friendly’ companies awarded the tenders.
But things would have gone smoothly, had our guy Enoch Nguthu not have been in office. He disappointed the companies proposed by the MCAs, replaced them with his own; and refused to compromise with them!
At this point, it is worth noting that the assembly passed the supplementary budget in March since the governor agreed to their demands that they be awarded CLIDPs.
The embittered ward reps, some of them who had rushed to complete the projects and were pushing for pronto payments; called for an urgent meeting with the governor and made known their anger.

Coincidentally, the governor was also feeling frustrated with the assembly’s delay in passing the names of her proposed Public Service Board nominees; and she was blaming it all on the speaker Hon Ndoto.
A deal was struck between the MCAs, led by the majority leader Hon. Peter Kilonzo aka Tangawizi and the deputy speaker Hon. Kasee Musya; to oust the speaker in return for the governor firing the finance CO Enoch Nguthu.
Although it was concealed as a meeting where free masks were handed out to the MCAs for distribution in their wards, the governor assured them that he was okay with the idea of working with the deputy speaker, who would step into the acting capacity once they passed a vote of no confidence to the speaker. The only member who walked out of this meeting was the Kauwi Ward MCA Hon. Jane Mutua aka Kavicky.

After two more meetings to refine the details of the deal, Ngilu fired her CO, and began the push for the speaker to convene an emergency seating of the house to pass the Public Service Board nominees. Although the hidden idea here was to have the MCAs table and pass a motion of no confidence with the speaker.
Hon. Ndoto however, privy to the devious plot,  refused to call the emergency session, inclining its justification on the recent ban of mass congregations during this period of the covid-19 pandemic.

But it was too late; the axe had fallen, and Enoch Nguthu had been sacrificed as a pawn piece does in the game of chess tosave the queen….

(Catch Part Three of the Chronicles right here…. #OneDayOneChronicle )

Coming tomorrow in the next episode of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: CHRONICLES OF FALLEN CO ENOCH NGUTHU: The illegitimate love affair that cost people jobs, the money deals that never closed, and ‘the final straw that broke the camel’s back’…. Exclusively in www.kituinewspaper.wordpress.com

Kitui loses 156m in a dubious 2022 opinion survey contract.

Governor Ngilu and her croony Eunice Kilonzo are out to fleece the county coffers again!

Kitui governor Charity Ngilu poses for a photo with the former Kitui Senator David Musila during a past event. Ngilu has splashed over 150m in an opinion survey to establish her popularity, amid the county’s unpreparedness for fighting Covid-19 spread.

Kitui Newspaper sleuths have exposed how Ngilu and her closest ally have signed a contract that’s being funded from the office of the governor’s kitty, for a survey that’s purely aimed at establishing the popularity of the governor in Kitui County, and whether the citizens would consider voting her into office again come 2022.

The 156 million contract was awarded to a company named Anastra, and among the key questions in the questionnaire is the question: “Come 2022, who would you vote for as governor? (a) Charity Ngilu, (b) David Musila (c) Dr. Makau Malombe (d) Other”…

Investigations have revealed that Anastra I owned by Eunice Kilonzo, a close ally of the governor who made headlines about a year ago when allegations of her holding millions of cash collected as revenue in boxes at her home led to the police raiding her home and recovering cartonfuls of money. However, the matter was swept off the carpet and there’s no noticiable pursuant legal action to date.

There was no open tendering process for the service, and the survey is currently underway, expected to end early next week.

This comes at a time when the country is grappling with the novel covid-19 infection scare, in a county that has no single ventilator machine or an ICU facility in any of its health establishments.

OPINION: Who is this man GMT Ottieno

The writer of this article is a retired Fóotball Referee

Players throw GMT Ottieno out of the pitch during a past football match.[Photo: courtesy]

The football fraternity read with shock GMT Ottieno’s personal attack on Football Kenya Federation (FKF) president Nick Mwendwa.

In a piece in a local daily, the former referee claims that Mwendwa has clung into office after the Sports Dispute Tribunal (SDT) ruled that the team of office for the current office has expired.

The opinion itself is laughable considering that Mwendwa is hardly four years into office and the idea of clinging into office does not arise at all. At 78 years of age, GMT ottieno was already a referee while Mwendwa was just a tolder.

While many of his age-mates have either retired or died, GMT Ottieno has refused to leave the scene for younger people and continues to compete with them for secretarial jobs at the Kenyan Premier League (KPL)!

This is a job that should be carried out by GMT Ottieno’s grandchild and not even his son who must be older than Mwendwa whom he accuses of clinging into office.

So before GMT Ottieno accuses Mwendwa of refusing to leave office he should first of all look at himself.

Furthermore, the octagorian is behind the current wrangles bedeviling the Kenya Referees Association (KEFORA). The association has not held elections for the longest time and all because every time polls are due, GMT Ottieno runs to court to stop the process.

His time is fast running up as he cannot continue this way forever. Shamefully and being a member of the Sports Dispute Tribunal, he is not allowed to disucss matters before the tribunal.

By attacking the FKF president, GMT Ottienoe has proven that he doesnot udnerstyand his role at the tribunal as the matter is still active before the SDT and has not been concluded.

It is also shameful that GMT continues to discuss before the tribunal in public forums which in itself is unethical and for this alone, he should be kicked out.

But knowing the old man, he is full of bitterness and has never accepted that a young man much younger than his own son can be the president of the national federation.

It is something that GMT Ottieno has never accepted and has continud to show disdain for Mwendwa and the current office. It is time for GMT to go home and pave way for young referees to take over his role.

After all he has nothing to show for once being a Fifa referee where he served for less than one year and left under questionable circumstances.

Shame as Covid-19 Exposes Priest’s Secret Love Affair

It’s a tough time for the Catholic Church, with its age-old  values of chastity  suffering virulent criticism; after a priest tested positive of the novel covid-19 virus; exposing a long-existing secret love affair that has lasted for years undetected.

The burble burst after the priest, who jetted into the country last week, before somehow circumventing the government’s mandatory quarantine directive and ending up in his home in Kitui; decided to savor the pleasures of carnal banality with his mistress. The mistress is roumoured to have spend around three nights with the priest at his home, before symptoms of the virus started manifesting themselves.

However, the public raised concerns over the free movements of the priest; who also hosted a home-coming party for his congregants immediately after and visited two different parishes in the Diocese he’d served as a priest in the past; drawing the scrutiny and monitoring efforts of the cleric by the Kitui County government ministry of health officials.
Following the strict measures by the government to quarantine every known contact to any confirmed case, the young lady was traced to her home in Kasyala in Kitui Central, and taken to the county isolation facility in Kauwi Hospital, Kitui West.
The Kitui-based priest is roumoured to have kept the secret affair with the young mother of one for years, since 2017 when he was the resident priest at the Kasyala Catholic Parish.
Efforts to contact the woman have been unsuccessful due to the strict measures by the government for such cases. However, an inside source in the MoH disclosed to Kitui Newspaper that the girl admitted to having an affair with the man of cloth, and having spend several steamy nights with him after he jetted back to the country from Italy last week.

Over 50 other people suspected to have come into contact with the priest are still being traced, including supermarket staff, bodaboda riders, Catholic faithfuls, and nuns from a convent within Kitui Town.

CCTV footage have been availed to help with the operation, with the Priest’s house-servant  already isolated at the Kauwi Hospital facility, and one unnamed person who was spotted chatting with the priest in a local supermarket already confirmed to be in self quarantine.

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Fear grips FKF league after a civilian whips out pistol, threatens rival fans

Emotions are running high among Kitui football fans after an incidence where a civilian drew out a pistol and threatened fans during a football match on Sunday evening.

The scene, which allegedly took place when Matinyani FC were hosting Mutanda FC at the Matinyani DEB grounds in the ongoing Kitui County FKF league, a civilian was captured on camera pulling out his handgun in the middle of the crowd and brandishing it at the fans.
According to eyewitnesses, a mild scuffle ensued after the last whistle was blown, where Matinyani FC fans assaulted a Mutanda FC player; prompting the rival fans to step in and defend their own. In the drama that ensued, the civilian, who was on the Matinyani FC fans stand; drew out a firearm from his belt and openly brandished it at the rivals, to the full shock of the crowds.
Interestingly though, there were two fully armed uniformed officers on the scene, who had been assigned to provide security during the match, and none reacted to the drama: either by baring their firearms, or disarming the civilian who apparently was exposing hundreds of fans to grave danger. In an exclusive camshot, one of the uniformed Officer is caught walking away in a carefree manner, as the civilian rocks his gun in the crowd like Rambo!

On seeking answers from FKF, the chairman Mr. Gilbert Mutema was quite evasive with his answers. In an exclusive interview with the Kitui Newspaper reporter, Mr. Mutema claimed that Mutanda FC fans had threatened to disarm and assault the uniformed officers in the field, prompting the civilian (who he claims is a known DCI officer at the Matinyani Police Station) to take one of the officers’ guns and defend them. He further added that four fans were arrested for assaulting officers on duty and attempting to forcefully take their firearms. According to Mr. Mutema, the four were detained overnight at the Matinyani Police Station cells.
However, investigations revealed that one of the fans was released at midnight on Sunday, and the rest on Monday, without any charges pressed!
Questioned how such a matter; that might have necessitated for a civilian to brandish a gun and endanger lives of hundreds of innocent fans; could be treated so lightly, the chairman shrugged it off with, “Waliongea kinyumbani!”

When Kitui Newspaper further sought the police version of the incident, the Matinyani OCPD Mr. Sawe said over the phone that he was away for some time and wasn’t aware of the incident. Despite his promise to have the reports Office call back for the briefs, nothing had sufficed yet, by the time of going to press. He refused to comment on whether the civilian was an officer in his station or not, saying that he didn’t have the vaguest clue such a thing actually happened.

Now, a large faction of football fans in Kitui County are worried that FKF management has failed to provide a conducive, safe and fairly competitive environment for the game.

“We can’t have a football match that ends with guns drawn,”  fumed Victor Muli, the Mutanda FC chairman and sponsor, “We have put investment into that team to allow hooliganism and non action from FKF!”
“Such only happens in mafia nation!” He added.

This comes at a time when police officers have made recent news for wanton shooting and killings of civilians.

Thirsty Theft: Sub-county Admin fined for ‘Stealing Water’ meant for Community

Saturday September 7, 2019, Kitui Rural.

By Brian Peter

The Kitui Rural Sub county administrator Mr. Ambrose Muthama is a troubled man after the CBO incharge of water distribution in the region fined him over a hundred thousand for tampering with the water meter, line, and stealing water meant for the community.

Plumbers from the CBO stormed his homestead on Tuesday 3rd September 2019 and disconnected the water meter, and indefinitely disconnected his water line. This happened after the CBO board was tipped by community members that Mr. Muthama had been tampering with his meter for months so as to evade paying his water bills. According to inside sources, the Sub-county administrator had cheated the CBO of around Ksh. 14,400 in the past 5 months.

A copy of the letter addressed to Mr. Muthama by the CBO demanding he pays his fine in full or face legal action. [Photo: Kitui Newspaper ©2019]

In a strong worded letter addressed to Mr. Muthama, the CBO has ordered that the Subcounty admin pay a total of 145,500 Shillings fine or face legal action against him. Candid sources inside the CBO board have confided to Kitui Newspaper that the administrator had numerously in isolated past events, threatened the CBO officials that nobody should dare bill him for the water as he is a powerful and well connected senior government official. He had also instructed the ward administrator to fire the current committee members, terming them as defiant and insubordinate.

Plumbers who disconnected the meter were left in awe that instead of increasing in digits, his meter had decreasing readings instead. The matter was reported immediately at the Kanyangi Police post, where it still is pending investigations.
The community members have voiced their disappointment that such a senior officer who should be on the Frontline in solving the perenial water crisis in the region could be the one actually sacrificing the suffering community for such selfish personal interest.

The Dirty Cops of Kitui 2: Going Deep into the Rot and Impunity of the Kitui County Police Officers.

File Photo: Police Officers on patrol in the streets of Kitui Town. Kitui county has turned into a hotbed of impunity as rogue officers terrorize business men in well-protected networks of extortion and corruption. [Photo by Kitui Newspaper™|©2019]

THE KITUI SOUTH CARTEL

Mutomo is a hotbed for impunity and a rogues paradise for dirty cops, as bar owners face a cartel that goes by the name The Board.
The Board, an unofficial caucus formed by the DCC Mutomo, Jacob Auma, and comprised of the OCPD, OCS, the Sub-County Administrator, and a senior sub-county health official only identified as Beatrice; is the new bully in town:- making draconian laws and running a complex web of extortion from bar owners in the region. The cartel is famous for confisticating liquer licenses and threatening closure of bars that dont contribute to their 5000 monthly toll per every alcohol selling establishment. They have even gone a notch higher to set their own draconian regulations, in a bid to ensure non-compliance so that their extortion food chain runs undisrupted.
For instance, early last month, the Board called a meeting with all bar owners at the Mutomo Chiefs camp, making it mandatory for all bar owners from Ikanga, Mutha, and Kyatune areas to attend. In the meeting, the DCC demanded that all bar staff should wear uniforms and bar owners to tile all floors of their establishments. Over 35 bar owners saw their licences confisticated and their businesses closed, compelling them to part with between 5000- 15000 to retrieve their documents and reopen their businesses.

Officers on patrol are also known to do rounds every night, collecting between 200 and 500 toll per every bar. Defaulters arrested, bars closed and licenses confisticated. The Police then charge an unofficial fine of 5000 to return their licenses. The Board is a powerful outfit, drawing powers from both the National and County government grids, hence the poor businessmen have ended up groaning in silence, with nowhere else to turn to for redress, up until Kitui Newspaper took the frontline in exposing dirty cops.

KITUI RURAL: Wild Wild KV

Kwa Vonza is the fastest growing town in the entire county, boasting of the closest Kitui can get to a 24-hour economy. It is also the busiest commercial center in the entire Kitui Rural Subcounty.
However, things have gone south in this town, turning it into another rogue paradise for dirty cops.
During our investigations, Kitui Newspaper sleuths discovered that there exists bad blood between the DC Lower Yatta and the Kitui Rural OCPD. Infact, the hatred has taken deep roots that they not only can’t work in the same office, but are also doing all they can to undo anything the other does. A good example is the issuing of licences for night clubs in the area: the OCPD vowed to cancel all the licenses claiming that no one vetted the owners of the clubs prior to the issuance, as the vetting board was disbanded by the former governor Dr. Malombe.
This conflict has created a free-yam for rogue officers to openly parade their impunity. A roadblock was set up overnight in the middle of the town, where it collected 50 from every matatu and boda boda operator passing through the Kitui- Machakos road. It took the efforts of Senior Counsel Maema, the proprietor and owner of KV Trade Center, to have the OCPD order the removal of the illegal roadblock. However, the officers only went underground for a few days, before reappearing with the same roadblock at Kalandini near Ndumoni, a few kilometers away, along the same road! The same trend of motorists extortion and harassment continues to date.

Incidences of drunk officers appearing in full gear to harass residents and businessmen are a common sight in the town. For instance, in 19th May, an AP officer only identified as Tom, appeared drunk as a skunk and terrorised bar owners and boda boda operators demanding for bribes. She allegedly harassed a local businesslady and human rights activist Madam Margaret Vonza, the owner of Mojito Lounge.

In other occurences, the OCPD’s proxy, an officer going by the name Makori, has threatened club owners who have refused to ‘pay tributes’ to his boss with closure and arrests. Barely a month ago, the officer had a heated public exchange with Mr. Katumo, the owner of Club Ideal, and two other night club owners for flatly refusing to cow in to his bosses demands. The businessmen told him off flatly that they were fully compliant and had valid night club licenses, so they weren’t going to bribe him a cent. This saw the enraged OCPD order a crackdown on all night clubs in the town. Over 38 revellers were arrested and licenses confisticated. The most hit clubs were Jupiter and Club 22. However, upon arraignment in Kitui Court, the magistrate ruled that the arrests were unlawful as the establishments were properly licensed and released all the revellers freely.
Currently, the OCPD and his stooge officer Makori are on leave, and dirty cops are running wild in the rogue paradise of Kwa Vonza.

Stay tuned for Dirty Cops of Kitui 3

Mui Basin Residents Renew Push to Stop Kitui Coal Mining plans

Monday, 27th May 2019, Kitui East

By Phillip Muasya

Coal reservoir of an old steam locomotive
The proposed coal mining project in the Mui basin in Kitui County is now in limbo after residents petitioned Parliament seeking to have it stopped.

In a strong-worded petition to the National Assembly Energy Committee, the residents say if allowed to continue, the project would have adverse effects on their lives.

This is not the first time the locals are voicing their opposition to the project that has been dogged by controversy, including claims of lack of public participation.

The basin has coal deposits with an estimated value of Sh3.4 trillion whose discovery was seen as a major breakthrough in making Kenya an industrial hub like Germany and other European powerhouses.

But the project has stalled for years now since the award of a mining licence to Chinese firm, Fenxi Industry Mining Company, in December 2013 due to politicisation.

As part of the project, there was also a proposal to set up a coal power plant in Mui that would produce 1000 megawatts of electricity to be connected to the national grid.

But following recent attempts to revive the project, residents have renewed their push to have the project stopped, saying it would have irrevocably damaging effects to their health and the environment.

During a recent meeting with the National Assembly Energy Committee at Mathuki Market, the residents through their spokesperson Peter Musyoka said the Government acted in bad faith by entering into a mining contract with Fenxi before an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) was done.

In the petition, the residents dismissed coal as “dirty energy” with irreversible health and environmental side effects.

Mr Musyoka, who sits in a community committee that has been educating the Mui residents on the adverse effects of coal mining, said his team visited Mpumalanga Province in South Africa and were shocked by the level of pollution as a result of coal mining.

“We are convinced that coal is not clean energy and therefore should not be encouraged. Coal mining will result in water and air poisoning, leading to adverse effects on human health not only for residents of Mui basin but beyond,” Musyoka told the David Gikaria-led committee.

The residents noted that through research, they had learned that China had closed down 151 coal-fired power plants, while another 531 coal-fired power plants were closed in the United States due to pollution.

The community noted that an EIA ought to have been done before awarding the mining tender, adding that there was no public participation or civic education on what to expect from the coal mining project.

“The community that lives within Mui basin and have nowhere else to call home totally opposes the Government’s proposal to mine coal,” said Mr Musyoka.

The visit by the National Assembly committee was prompted by another petition filed in the House by Mwingi Central MP Gideon Mulyungi – in whose constituency part of Mui coal basin falls – on February 14, citing among other things, non-involvement of the locals in the project.

In the petition, the MP says his constituents were not consulted widely on the project and were not educated on effects of coal mining.

He adds that the Government was also not clear on issues of compensation, relocation and resettlement of the residents.

“The community has never given consent for the mining of coal in accordance with the provisions of section 37 (1) of the Mining Act in regard to the procedure for mining in private or community land,” says Mulyungi in the petition.

The MP adds that the land has not been properly surveyed, with many residents holding title deeds that have a myriad of errors.

“The title deeds have anomalies such as missing ID numbers and wrong acreage for individual landowners,” he states.

No word

Mr Gikaria, the chairman of the committee promised that the community’s grievances would be captured in a report to be compiled in two weeks’ time before it is tabled in the full House for adoption.

“We came just to listen and collect views from the villagers. We are happy they have backed their complaints with evidence from research they have done. We will write our report and present it before Parliament so that the House can give direction on the matter,” he said.

There has been no word from the national government on the status of Kitui coal project five years after the signing of the tender documents, with unverified information claiming that the Chinese investor had fallen out with their Kenyan partner – Great Lakes Corporation.

Another thing that seems to have stalled the project is a document prepared after the signing of the main contract, as an addendum, that captured the interests of the locals.