Kazungu Kambi in his office. PHOTO | FILE

The Kilifi county Governor Amason Kingi wants the directors of the Giriama ranch to be persecuted for land fraud. The Saga which linked former cabinet secretary Samuel Kazungu Kambi and former Ganze Mp Joseph Kingi has hit the walls of the county government and the legislatures where the ranch is located.



The Kilifi County Government has asked the National Land Commission to investigate how a 65,000-acre community ranch in Ganze was converted into private property.


Giriama Ranching Company Ltd, which is associated with the ranch, is seeking to sell the property to a Dubai-based firm, Al Maktoum, for Sh13 billion.

In a letter to NLC chairman Muhammad Swazuri, dated November 8, Land county executive Charles Karisa says the regional government wants the commission not to support the extension of the lease for the property until the matter is resolved.


“Our concern is that the planned transaction will disenfranchise in excess of 30,000 ranch settlers who use the land for their livelihoods and also their residence," Karisa said.

"In addition, it is a threat to community assets such as schools, hospitals, watering points and strategic networks,” he said.

“One of the issues raised by the company that wants to sell the land is that it wants to pay a bank loan of Sh250 million after the ranch was used as security by another private firm to secure the money." Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi said.

“Now, who is the beneficiary in this if it is not a complete rip-off of the community? We shall do everything to ensure that the land remains a community ranch,” the governor said.

“The planned sale will not be stopped because we are a private company owned by members through shares. We have a loan we want to repay." Director Rajab Menza said.


"That is why we are looking for a buyer. It is our business and there is nothing wrong with what we intend to do,” One of the directors of the ranch, Mr. Rajab Menza said.


The piece of land has been a contentious issue as the Ganze MP Hon Teddy Mwambire with Kaloleni counterpart Hon Paul Katana vowed to seal the deal and make sure the land goes back to the wananchi.



The two leaders have been engaging the matter before they went to the office after they heard of the Dubai based firm grand sale.  The bank loan was used to finance the campaigns of Kazungu Kambi and Peter Safari Shehe in the Kilifi gubernatorial seat and Ganze parliamentary seat respectively.


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