Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza on Saturday took on a few wealthy individuals alleged to have grabbed Mitunguu Airstrip land.
The Governor escalated the matter to President William Ruto who was touring the region urging the Head of State to intervene and recover the grabbed land.
Mwangaza revealed that out of the 340 acres allocated for the airstrip, a few wealthy individuals had grabbed approximately 140 acres of land.
"We have an airstrip here and we are asking the president to open it for us," she stated.
Other leaders from the community called upon the National Government to fence the land to prevent more grabbing. Leaders also asked Ruto to continue with the fight against graft.
They also called for drastic measures to ensure all corrupt land grabbers keep off the piece of land.
Additionally, leaders also called for the rehabilitation of the facility to boost air travel in the county. Rehabilitation of the airstrip will serve Kenyans in the vicinity.
The leaders remarked that the airstrip should be at par with those in Migori and Garissa counties.
During the tour, President Ruto inspected and commissioned several various ongoing projects including the Mweru Umoja One Irrigation project, Mitunguu Technical and Training Institute, Mwichiune Economic Stimulus Market, and Jitume ICT hub among other projects.
"Our investment in technical colleges and ICT hubs guarantees our youth the acquisition of competencies to help them monetise their knowledge and skills," Ruto remarked.
Additionally, the Head of State vowed to reduce food imports by 50 per cent in the next five years. He emphasised that this would be achieved by boosting the agricultural sector in Kenya and cutting the food import budget which stands at Ksh500 billion.
Ruto was in Meru for a three-day tour, he was joined by his deputy Rigathi Gachagua among other leaders.
