Friends to former president Moi have been listed among irregular beneficiaries of parcels of land, in a tussle pitting the Agricultural Development Corporation (ADC) against residents of Sabaki in Kilifi County.
Agriculture Chief Administrative Secretary Andrew Tuimur had a tough time before the National Assembly Agriculture Committee, and could not even name the powerful KANU stalwarts who acquired the 470-acre parcel of land for a song.
The committee is in possession of a document exposing how former powerful cabinet ministers, members of parliament and well connected public servants in the KANU era irregularly benefited from a 470-acre parcel of land belonging to the ADC in Sabaki, Kilifi County.
In a petition on behalf of Sabaki residents presented to Parliament by Magarini MP Michael Kingi in November last year, the ADC land was purchased in 1976 at a cost Ksh.1.3 million.
During the 1990s, ADC, which was established in 1965 through an Act of Parliament, began allocations of the land in Magarini, in what the National Lands Commission in 2015 termed as illegal.
So powerful are the beneficiaries of the Kiswani ADC land that Agriculture Chief Administrative Secretary Andrew Tuimur could not mention them by name.
“They are powerful let the list speak for itself,” he said when asked to mention them.
In the list of over 200 beneficiaries, former Public Works Cabinet Minister the late Kipkalya Kones, was allocated 25.2 acres, while former long serving cabinet minister in the Moi regime and Ford People leader Simeon Nyachae was allocated 17.8 acres.
Another Cabinet Minister in the Moi administration who benefited from the land is Katana Ngala who was given 10 acres.
Former CID Director Francis Sang, influential Mombasa businessman and Former KANU nominated MP Rashid Sajjad Rashid and former Maendeleo ya Wanawake chair Zipporah Kittony cumulatively irregularly received 25 acres of the ADC land.
Long-serving Kenya Seed Company Managing Director Nathaniel Tum and Ezekiel Barngetuny — a longtime ally of retired President Moi — were allocated 55 acres and 14 acres respectively. Dr. Frank Mwongera was allocated 10 acres.
Francis Baya, who was a former powerful provincial commissioner and later Ganze MP, was allocated 10 acres.
Moi’s aide de camp Alexander Sitienei was allocated 5 acres while former Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions and Chief Magistrate Uniter Pamela Kidula was allocated 10 acres.
