Cartel takes charge of Lands ministry – Weekly Citizen

Management wars have erupted at ministry of Lands and Physical planning after a cartel out to fleece the public was exposed. The ministry’s cabinet secretary is Faridah Karoney who is said to be allied to William Ruto side in the current battle rocking Jubilee government.

Lands CS Faridah Karoney

On the other hand is principal secretary Nicholas Muraguri, whose appointment to the strategic post was brokered by powerful individuals surrounding Uhuru Kenyatta in government.
With the current wars on Jubilee government, cartels that used to call shots are capitalising on it to make a major comeback. They are currently portraying that bad blood exists between Karoney and Muraguri.
To show how Muraguri is well connected, despite being linked to multibillion mega scandals at ministry of Health, he was transferred to his current docket and never charged in court. The PS is said to enjoy working relationships with members of the president’s family whom he helped land lucrative but controversial tenders at the Health ministry. The family protects Muraguri day and night.
Senior officers at the Lands ministry are Esther Ogega, now acting secretary lands and director of land adjudication.

Lands PS Nicholas Muraguri

Then, we have John Maina, acting director surveys. Augustine Masinde is the director of physical planning. He is one of the oldest officials at the ministry with a network across all 47 counties in the country.
A shrewd operative, Masinde with Maina and Ogego have of late influenced allies who had been transferred from headquarters to counties back the headquarters. The idea is to cut deals and mint millions at the ministry.
Initially, Masinde was pledging loyalty to Karoney but with Ruto powers dwindling within the the corridors of power, he is of late shifting. Patrick Osero, a lands dealer linked to Ruto was close to Masinde until recently.
Osero through Ruto brokered to have Masinde awarded Elder of the Burning Spear (EBS) medal by the state not for exemplary work but for facilitating corruption at Lands ministry.
Masinde and Maina power of influence is not only felt at Lands ministry but also at National Lands Commission where they call shots.
Masinde and Maina’s names remotely feature in the dubious payments of millions of shillings to Ruaraka land scam in Nairobi. Powerful names in Jubilee government were linked to the dubious payments but the investigations have hit the rocks.
Informed sources say that the upgrading of the controversial Weston Hotel land file that saw a firm allied to Ruto use the title deed to get a loan from Kenya Commercial Bank to develop the project was masterminded by Masinde and a then Kalenjin woman power broker at Lands ministry.
Masinde cartel suffered when Sarah Maina, a senior registrar who was transferred to Eldoret back to Nairobi.
And now, the cartel has Betty Otieno who has been at the registry for over 12 years as the pointperson. Together with one Peter Chelego, they are of late facilitating file controls.
Masinde updated Weston Land file LR No 204114372.