Tana River, KENYA: Kilifi governor Amason Kingi has blamed the national government for the prevailing drought being witnessed in his county and Tana River over failure to utilize The Galana-Kulalu ADC project.
Speaking on Sunday at Hola stadium in Tana River county, Kingi said the Galana-kulalu project was aimed at stabilizing food security in the two counties; that gave its portions of land of 1 Milion Acres to the government for agricultural development projects.
Mr. Kingi affirmed to public that the sh.7 billion invested in the project did not fulfill its purpose; saying residents are still affected by hunger despite President Kenyatta’s promise that the project would reduce food insecurity in two counties.
“Three to four years ago your governor (Hussein Dado) and I were called by President Uhuru Kenyatta to the Galana Kulalu, on reaching there we met him and he told us that he wanted 1 million acres from Kilifi and Tana River.Uhuru Kenyatta affirmed to us that if we were to give him the land nobody from Kilifi or Tana River would die of hunger because food would be produced in that project.” Said Kingi.
Kingi added that the Jubilee government took sh.7 billion into that project in Galana Kulalu.
Mr. Kingi’s utterances were echoed by Mombasa governor Ali Hassan Joho, saying the national government had planned to use the land for other purposes and not to help the residents to fight hunger.
“I will not stop speaking the truth and I am telling Mr. Kingi that the step of taking those acres was not to help people from Tana River or Kilifi, the aim was stealing our land,” Mr. Joho added.
Governor Joho also during that rally, declared his ambition of vying for the presidential seat in the year 2022, after his boss Mr. Odinga will have finished his term at State house.
Taita Taveta governor Mr. John Mtuta Mrutu urged the residents to maintain peace before, during and after general elections; adding that misunderstandings derail the economy of the country.
The Sunday rally which was held in Hola and Garsen involved three governors and various leaders with aspirants within NASA coalition.
