Land Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome has promised Muranga Governor Irungu Kang'ata that she will see through the return of 1,400 acres Delmonte ceded to the county government.
Speaking at a school fundraiser in Muranga on Saturday, Kang'ata had pleaded with the CS indicating that several projects were at a standstill due to lack of title deeds.
"We are completing phase I of Kenneth Matiba Hospital and we are planning phase II, and if we do a projection, we see that it will be the new Thika. If that process could be finished, it can unlock a lot of potential," the Governor stated.
On her part, CS Wahome apologised for the slow pace of the process that has been in court since the previous regime.
"The biggest challenge of Delmote is the existing cases. Yesterday, I was looking at that file and it has 30 cases."
"I could brief you on where we are but I have strict instructions from his excellency to conclude it as quickly as possible," CS Wahome responded.
Heeding Kang'ata's plea, CS Wahome also vowed to resolve the currently stalled construction of Murang'a County landfills.
"I want to assure you that the reason there has been a delay is that we are doing a variation because the project took too long. The pricing of the equipment which we should give you has changed," she further clarified.
Her explanations follow a three-year-long battle to resolve and regain the original title deeds of the Delmote plantation after the firm was accused of taking the land without the authorities' knowledge.
"Delmonte has not released a title for the 1,400 acres that it ceded to the county government, 34 acres that were bought at Ksh340 million are intact and ready for development," Irungu Kanag'ata lamented in August 2023.
However, the public warned over the rush to construct the hospital by the county before the issues raised by the association were resolved.
National Land Commission and the Parliament of Kenya had resolved that the whole parcel of land be disturbed fairly between members of the public and the county government.
