I Lied About Lang'ata Land Grabbing to Protect Ruto - Ngilu

A file image of Lang'ata Primary School pupils fleeing teargas lobbed to them by police when they demonstrated against the grabbing of their playground in January 19, 2015.
A file image of Lang'ata Primary School pupils fleeing teargas lobbed to them by police when they demonstrated against the grabbing of their playground in January 19, 2015.
FILE

Kitui Governor, Charity Kaluki Ngilu, has revealed that she refused to indict Deputy President William Ruto in the Langata Road Primary School land grabbing saga.

In an interview with The Nation of Saturday, November 27, the first time Governor stated that she had to play her part while serving in the Jubilee administration during its first term in office.

She stated that the DP was so heartless, with among other things, being responsible for the teargassing of the Lang'ata Road Primary School pupils when they demonstrated against a construction that had just kicked off in their playground. 

Kitui governor Chrity Ngilu
Kitui governor Chrity Ngilu
File

“If you have the heart of a leader, would you, when getting some place to get your hotel visitors’ parking lot, teargas primary school children?” posed Ngilu. 

But when asked why she did not mention the DP in the case while announcing those behind the school land grabbing sage, Ngilu stated that she did it solely to protect the interest of the government she was part of at the time.

“You know, sometimes when you are in government, you must protect it,” she stated. 

In January 2015, the Langata Road Primary School pupils were lobbed with teargas by police as they protested the grabbing of their playground where a wall had been erected by unknown private investors. 

The pupils were joined by activists where the melee saw many of the pupils suffer injuries by chocking, while others sustained injuries as they tried to flee from the police.  

When the government was forced to reveal the people behind the atrocious act, the then Land Cabinet Secretary, Charity Ngilu, mentioned other individuals rather than the Deputy President.

She named directors of Airport View Housing Company Limited, Mandip Singh Amrit, Madat Singh Amrit, Harban Singh Amrit and Kamal Singh Amrit, who she said were the owners of the disputed piece by 2013. 

She further directed authorities to investigate the matter, stating that those who would be found culpable would face the full force of the law. 

The incident drew a lot of public attention including the international media who castigated the police for using excessive force on the minors who were holding peaceful demonstrations. 

Ngilu became a fierce critic of the DP after leaving office in 2015 after she was implicated in embezzlement of public funds. 

She has outrightly expressed her disdain for Ruto in the recent past, stating that she refused to attend the Intergovernmental Budget and Economic Council (IBEC) meeting called by the DP just because it was chaired by him. 

DP William Ruto meeting with AP officers attached to his Karen residence on August 30, 2021.
DP William Ruto meeting with AP officers attached to his Karen residence on August 30, 2021.
DPPS