20100104
allafrica

Nairobi — A Cabinet minister on Monday said he was arm-twisted into allocating Mau forest land to former President Daniel arap Moi.

Mr William ole Ntimama, now the National Heritage minister, further said that Kiptagich Tea Factory partly owned by Mr Moi was not under the Narok County Council.

Mr Ntimama served as the council chairman in the 1970s. He spoke a day after retired President Moi acknowledged that he owns a stake in the tea estate and factory said to be within the Mau Forest.

On Monday, Mr Ntimama said the allocation was done when Kenya was a one-party state and there was nothing much he could do to control the events.

"The former president ran a one-party state. I was helpless and could do nothing when he took the land. I was arm-twisted in that situation," he said.

Attempts to speak to Mr Moi's press secretary, Mr Lee Njiru, failed as he was not picking his phone.

On Sunday, Mr Moi said he owns 25 per cent of the factory and the rest belonged to the public. He claimed he was given the land by Narok County Council.

Speaking after a church function in Bureti, Mr Moi further denied that the land was in Mau saying it was at the edge of the forest.

The retired president maintained that he did not use his position as Head of State to grab the land.

He denied claims that he used his power to allocate himself the land in Olenguruone, Kuresoi district.

The Maasai, he said, gave him the land as a way of conserving the Mau Complex by stopping encroachers. He said land neighbouring various water towers was also allocated to other individuals to act as buffer zones.

But on Monday, Mr Ntimama urged the former president to surrender the 900-acre piece of land.

Kiptagich is among billions of shillings property set to be removed from Mau by the government as part of the forests conservation efforts.

A number of former key personalities in the Moi regime including Kuresoi MP Zachayo Cheruiyot are also to be affected in the evictions.

Narok County Council chairman Solomon Ole Moriaso claimed Mr Ntimama gave Mr Moi the land when he was the council boss to gain political supremacy.