Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has dismissed claims linking him to a reported land dispute, terming the allegations false and misleading.
In a statement on Tuesday, April 21, Head of Communication Office of the Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Interior and National Administration, Julius Sigei, said the ministry said the reports published in one of the daily newspapers were baseless.
Addressing the claims, the ministry said the allegations had no truth and unfairly sought to associate the CS with the matter.
"The attention of the Cabinet Secretary has been drawn to the wild and false allegations circulating in one of the dailies purporting to implicate him in a land dispute.
"We condemn, in the strongest terms possible, the publication of the false story, which is based on rumour, conjecture and wild allegations," the statement read.
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The ministry further clarified that Murkomen had no connection whatsoever to the property at the centre of the dispute.
"The Cabinet Secretary does not have an iota of personal interest in the property. In fact, he has no knowledge of the purported land, its location or the presence of a land dispute," the statement added.
The ministry also rejected claims suggesting Murkomen was involved in directing police operations related to the matter.
It insisted that the Cabinet Secretary has no role in managing the routine operations of police officers
"The Cabinet Secretary does not carry out police patrols as purported by the petitioner. The fact that police officers may, by the very nature of their work, get involved in land issues anywhere in the country does not, in any way, mean the Cabinet Secretary is interested in any of those properties.
"The Cabinet Secretary, by law and in fact, does not direct police in their day-to-day work. He only issues general policy guidelines, which he does publicly, and in writing, through the Inspector General of Police," the statement further read.
As such, the ministry called for quick investigations into the matter and the protection of legitimate land owners.
"The Cabinet Secretary urges the Inspector General and the investigative authorities to move with speed to address this matter and protect the interests of genuine land owners in this case and across the country," the statement concluded.
According to a report in a local publication, businessman Daniel Mwangi Mbugua and his daughter, Wanjiru Mwangi, have petitioned the court to compel the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to investigate Murkomen, Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi, and Gatundu North MP Elijah Kururia.
The family alleges the three leaders are linked to the controversial takeover of the 300-acre Kasarini Coffee Farm, home to the popular Paradise Lost recreational facility in Runda.
According to court filings, the land is valued at not less than Ksh20 billion.
The dispute traces back to the estate of the late Kiambu tycoon Mbugua Mwangi, who passed away in 2008, followed later by his wife Christine Mithiri.
Mwangi and Wanjiru claim that more than 200 individuals have unlawfully occupied sections of the disputed land, allegedly under the protection of the named politicians.
Further claims suggest that a portion of the land has been transferred to Pamat Enterprises Limited.
The family also alleges that officers at Kiambu Police Station have been compromised and that the politicians previously convened meetings aimed at sidelining them from their rightful inheritance.
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