Uproar over appointment of Mvurya and his wife to mining committee

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Kwale Governor Salim Mvurya . PHOTO: file

Barely less than a week since a community committee was appointed to help manage the funds given to the community by mining firm base Titanium’s, a section of politicians in Kwale county have poked holes at the appointment.

Kwale Governor Salim Mvurya, his wife Christine Mvurya, Kwale county commissioner Karuku Ngumo, Lunga Lunga MP Khatib Mwashetani and the Base titanium liaison superintendent Pius Kassim were among those who were appointed in the gazette notice dated 28th February.

The committee will manage funds from the Base Titanium mining company, a company that has in the past been at loggerheads with a section of the community in Titanium rich Kwale county.

Kwale women rep Zuleikha Hassan when speaking to Baraka FM on Friday urged  President Uhuru Kenyatta to rescind the gazettement of the committee dubbed “community development committee arguing that politicians are not meant to be part of the committee.

“The gazettement of this committee include politicians, politicians should not be part of this management, there is a share from the government, there is no need for governors and MPs to run money which is meant for the communities,” Zuleikha said

“Our governor is  now in the committee which was gazetted to be a member of the committee and his wife .we hope that president cancels It,” she added

Zuleikha wants proper elections and appointment of Wananchi done so that they can man the fund for fairness to prevail.

She said that her bid to see the mess addressed by the ministry of tourism led by Najib Balala and other relevant government agencies were futile.

As per 2016, approval of the Base titanium mining act,  one percent of Base Titanium profits, will be paid to members of the society affected by the firms mining activities.

Late last year, the company was embroiled in a court tussle with 24  families living around their mining plant in Kwale County demanding that the company relocates them to a different place arguing that the mining activities were taking a toll on their health.

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