Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu has come under sharp criticism following an announcement that the county government would not renew Del Monte Kenya Limited’s land lease.
In a Facebook post on May 30, 2018, the county boss said the lease will not be renewed as the land will be used for the expansion of Thika town.
[Photo/ thikatowntoday.co.ke]
Waitutu has since pulled down the post, claiming that someone faked his Facebook account with the intention of giving the wrong impression of his meeting with the Del Monte MD.
However, during the Madaraka Day celebrations at the Ndumberi stadium on Friday, a section of leaders from the county criticised Waitutu, arguing that the move will see residents employed by the company lose their jobs.
Thika District Business Association (TDBA) chair Alfred Wanyoike said various stakeholders should be consulted before the matter is decided.
“If we kill Del Monte, we kill 50 per cent of our (Thika) employment. We should not create a problem (with the leasehold) but should instead prepare a master plan that involves all the stakeholders to map the way forward on the issue of Del Monte,” said Wanyoike.
He argued that the cancellation of the lease will benefit only a few individuals, with residents being left to bear the brunt of unemployment.
“We are against the refusal to renew Del Monte leasehold as this is an avenue to create room for a few people to take advantage of the situation to grab land and deny the general public their rights. As the business community and the people of Thika, we refuse to be part of such a scheme,” he added, as quoted by thikatowntoday.co.ke.
His sentiments were reiterated by Kiambu politician Gladys Chania, who argued that residents in Thika benefit from the company both directly and indirectly.