Opposition leader Raila Odinga (R), Taita Governor John Mruttu (L) and Thomas Mwadeghu (C) at a past event. [Photo/ the-star.co.ke]
Two gubernatorial aspirants in Taita Taveta have traded accusations over what they term slow land reforms in the county.
Governor John Mruttu and Wundanyi MP Thomas Mwadeghu accused each other for stalling land reforms in the Coastal devolved unit.On Wednesay, Mruttu accused Mwadeghu of dragging his feet in tackling the squatters’ problem when he was MP.“Where was he to solve the land problem the people of Taita Taveta are facing? If he was unable to resolve the land question when he was MP how will he convince us that he will solve it when he becomes governor?” the county chief said at a meeting in Taveta.He said under his administration more than 5,000 squatters had been settled after the county bought land for them.“Who doesn’t know what my government has done in the last four years? Let’s not play politics with the lives of our people.”Mruttu spoke a day after Mwadeghu accused the county chief of doing little to solve the land problem in Taita Taveta.Mwadeghu who is challenging Mruttu on an ODM ticket after defeating the governor during ODM party primary elections said the county government was slow in settling squatters.He said National Lands Commission (NLC) officials have visited the county severally with the aim of enlisting squatters expected to be issued with land titles in specific State-owned schemes.Mwadeghu, however, said the NLC’s efforts have been thwarted by the county government’s disinterest in the land resettlement matter.“If he (Mruttu) is sure of burying this problem, why are thousands of people still living as squatters in their own land,” he said.