CS Lenku claims fraudsters are duping Kenyans to collect referendum signatures

Nakuru, Kenya: Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Ole Lenku claims people are using promise of free government land in Nakuru and North Rift to collect signatures for the planned referendum.

Lenku said his office had reports that some individuals are engaged in a dubious scheme of duping Kenyans about a Government plan to issue free land in various parts of the country such as Moi's Bridge and Nakuru.

“These reports indicate that these individuals are going around asking and urging Kenyans to append their names, ID numbers and signatures to a register that will purportedly be used as a basis for allocation of land,” he said in a statement.

The minister said the alleged registration activity is illegal, and Kenyan should desist from signing any document or appending their particulars, for unclear objectives.

“The process for acquisition of land is clearly laid out in law and the institutions responsible for this activity are the relevant organs of the State at national and county levels.”

He added their investigations of the said activities indicate that the collection of names and signatures is intended to serve political objectives of secretly collecting signatures for the referendum from unsuspecting Kenyans.

Lenku said the said activities may also be used as a basis for extorting money and other favours from members of the public.

“Those involved should cease these illegal undertakings immediately otherwise they shall be arrested and dealt with in accordance with the law,” he said.

Cord was not immediately available for a comment on the claims.

The Cord Coalition has set the tempo for collection of more than a million signatures as part of planned referendum.

Lawyer Paul Mwangi leads a team of experts who are overseeing the exercise that is believed to be opposed by Government.

The coalition’s joint parliamentary group meeting attended by ODM leader Raila Odinga, his Wiper Democratic Movement counterpart Mr Kalonzo Musyoka, and Ford Kenya’s Moses Wetang’ula, also named four caucuses to work with the experts in driving the Opposition’s referendum agenda.

The other members are lawyer Kethi Kilonzo, former Labour permanent secretary Beatrice Kituyi and former Kenya National Commission on Human Rights member Khalef Khalifa.

The National Council of Advisers, a political caucus, the National Referendum Committee and the Secretariat, all of which will be based in Nairobi will take charge of different segments of the referendum campaign, including delivery of a petition by citizens who support it.