Former Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu's woes appear to deepen after yet another widow raised accusations against him as reported by People Daily on Tuesday, February 18.
Pauline Chelagat Gitau, 55, accused the former governor of invoking the name of President Uhuru Kenyatta to grab her 9-acre land.
She alleged Waititu, accompanied by a team of county askaris, raided her home in Kamae within Lari Sub-county, Kiambu County, where they destroyed indigenous trees valued at Ksh30 million in November 2018.
The publication reported that Gitau had learnt of the incident from her son that the governor was cutting down trees planted on seven acres of the land.
“I was shocked and scared that the destruction of my trees was being done by the governor. Though I was scared, I went to the farm and confronted him, demanding to know why he had trespassed on my property,” Gitau recounted.
However, when she demanded that she be served with documents authorising the action, Waititu allegedly told her he was acting on President Kenyatta's orders.
"Wherever I go, the president knows and he is the one who has sent me here. As the governor, I’m the government,” she recalled Waititu saying.
Cypress and cedar trees, all over 20 years old, were felled and potatoes on a two-acre piece destroyed. Gitau narrated that Waititu called for the biggest trees be cut first.
However, when the publication reached out to the former governor, he stated that the land was among several others that had been grabbed in Lari and other parts of Kiambu.
“Yes, we invaded and repossessed the land because it remains public land. In fact, Gitau knows quite clearly that she had grabbed public land which we moved to repossess,” Waititu stated.
Waititu claimed that Gitau was trying to appeal to public sympathy with the allegations.
“It is unfortunate that she is taking advantage of the woes facing me at the moment to come up with the allegations. In any case, action should be taken against her for having grabbed public land,” Waititu remarked.
Gitau told the daily that the land had been gifted to her husband Major (Rtd) Stephen Gitau by former President Daniel arap Moi in 1998 and that they had planted the trees immediately after.
“That year when my husband received the land, we dedicated every Sunday afternoon to go planting trees as a future investment. Then in just a day, the governor came and wiped off everything,” Gitau narrated.
She stated that after 12 hours, all her trees had been cut down and the logs loaded unto standby lorries, donkey carts and motorcycles, all under Waititu's oversight.
