By IP Reporter
Bungoma Senator David Wakoli has demanded the resignation of the Cabinet Secretary for Lands Alice Wahome, accusing her of dodging Senate oversight while thousands of acres of public land in the country remain grabbed or unprotected.
Speaking in the Senate, Wakoli said the CS wrote to Speaker Amason Kingi claiming to be out of the country, but failed to provide proof and skipped a committee session that was to address land scandals.
“The CS cannot run away from accountability. If she cannot appear before the Senate to defend her record, then she has no business holding office,” Wakoli said.
The senator said documentary evidence shows that about 325,000 acres of public land in Bungoma is either grabbed or left without protection, locking out residents from critical amenities such as schools, hospitals, playgrounds and markets.
He cited a task force chaired by the late Lawrence Sifuna, a former Kanduyi MP, which in 2019 investigated land ownership in Bungoma.
The report documented over 3,500 acres of irregularly acquired public land, including parcels belonging to Bungoma Hospital, the Bungoma Airstrip, Posta Grounds, Chepkube Market and Tesia land near Masinde Muliro Stadium.
However according to a county official who sort anonimity little has been done, alleging that the slow pace of implementation is linked to the involvement of powerful politicians and businessmen in Bungoma who were named in the report.
The task force also flagged land disputes in sub-counties including Kamukuywa, Tongaren, Mt. Elgon, Sirisia, Chwele, Lwakhakha,Kimilili, Webuye and Bumula where public land meant for health centres, schools, dams and markets had been converted for private use.
The Sifuna report recommended repossession of grabbed plots, demolition of illegal structures and proper leasing procedures instead of outright sale of public land.
It further called for verification of titles and making the findings public.
“The evidence is there — the Sifuna report documented it clearly but the ministry has ignored it and continues to protect land grabbers. This leadership is unfit to serve,” Wakoli said.
