Bahati MP Kimani Ngunjiri who is associated with DP William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) is among prominent names being probed by the government over the Kiambu forest grab, as well as the murder of Environmentalist Johanna Stutchburry.
According to Environment CS Keriako Tobiko, the MP’s name has featured prominently among politicians who were illegally and irregularly allocated 106.38 hectares of the vast Kiambu Forest land. Kimani Ngunjiri, also a director of Agropack Limited is said to have been allocated 6.795 hectares of forest land.
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”A gazetted forest can only be reallocated if it is degazetted and the degazettement must also be approved by Parliament. In 1999, a further illegal excision of 15.0 hectares was done and allocated to Mr Kuria Kanyingi. The remaining 14.5 ha was claimed by Hon Onesmus Kimani Ngunjiri. However, this area is forested with indigenous trees,” the CS said.
Apart from the MP, CS Tobiko has also listed Bedan Mbugua Gikebe, Antony Muchiri Gikebe, and Philomena Wangari Gikebe as having been allocated 25 hectares through their company, Wibeso Investments Limited.
Others are Mike Maina Kamau and Nguru Muregi Wachira, through their company Pelican Engineering and Company Limited which was allocated 29.68 hectares of the land.
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A probe into the Kiambu forest land was launched by the government in July after environmentalist Johanna Stutchburry was killed by unknown assailants outside her Kiambu home. Ms. Stutchburry has been a thorn in the flesh of landgrabbers who have always had an appetite for grabbing the prime land.
A petition by 13 conservationist groups and human rights defenders claim the conservationist was killed by grabbers of the forest land.
“The petitioners pray that the Senate investigate the circumstances leading to the alleged murder of Joannah Stutchbury and other environmentalists and conservationists in the country,” reads the petition in part.
