A section of the Maasai community drawn from Kaputei section of the Maasai have warned the Kajiado governor David Nkedianye against politicizing matters of a communal land in the Embakasi area.
In stormy meeting held on Saturday at the controversial sheep and goat land over 300 members of the 2912 acre piece of the community land, they condemned Nkedianye for trying to arm twist them for his selfish interest and political mileage.
Nkedianye who had convened the meeting with the aim of dissolving the current 9 member committee heading the land before his agenda hit a snag after furious members traded accusation on him terming him as a literate leader out to dup the illiterate in the society for his selfish gain.
The governor who was flagged by Kajiado East Mp Peris Tobiko was accused of failing to give a helping hand to the community when they were served with a letter of eviction from the land and only showed interest in the land when the process of reverting the land to the community was in its final stages.
The members questioned why Nkedianye wanted to replace the committee with his appointee members and why he intended to have the community land name be changed as well as proposed formation of a trust to oversee the land use and operations.
At some point furious members asked Nkedianye to keep off the land as its in Mavoko sub county, Machakos county and he had no obligation of pretending to fight for it despite belonging to the Kaputei community residing in Empakasi in the neighboring Machakos county.
It is until the governor humbled himself pleading that he had no ill motive but was just giving his personal proposals that the meeting kicked off with his agendas rubbished and instead agenda changed to discuss how he had failed to help the community in the fight for the land.
``Our Kajiado leaders have failed us by all means in fighting for this land. The Maasai’s of Machakos feel betrayed by your leadership and instead it’s the area Mp Patrick Makau who has been supporting us and assisting us. What is the special interest the Kajiado leaders have developed over night on this land? Nkedianye why would you like to change the committee that have existed since 2001?" questioned the committee chairperson James Turere.
Turere further accused the governor and Mp Tobiko of holding meetings with a section of members without involving officials.
He further condemned the two leaders of drafting a list of 262 members who will be the beneficiaries of the land.
``We are illiterate but very alert and we sense a malicious interest the two of you have in this piece of land and that’s why you want to change the leadership. We have followed up this land with illiteracy and just because our leaders are too literate does not justify they come in interfering with community land,’’ said Sapai Lejuma.
The members anonymously resolved to work with Mavoko Mp Makau warning the two leaders against any interference.
To quell the high tension among the meeting attenders the two leaders said they will work with the community for the better.
The piece of land standing at the Empakasi Mavoko was used by Kenya Meat Commission as a holding ground for livestock until 1990’s where it was agreed that it will be reverted to the Kaputei Maasai’s residing in the areas.
Mid last year the parliamentary committee on lands toured the piece of land in a facts finding mission where they said the land will be given to the community.
Currently the land is occupied by local Maasais and Mp Makau is on record saying the land will be given to the Maasai natives.