Did James Orengo, Lands PS have a hand in Lamu scam?

Siaya Senator James Orengo.

Did Siaya Senator James Orengo, while serving as Lands minister in the previous government, approve the processing of registration titles to some of the companies that benefited from part of the 500,000-acre public land in Lamu County?

This is the question being asked as documents in our possession indicate that Orengo and his then Permanent Secretary Dorothy Angote, may have given a go-ahead for the issuance of titles for some of the land.

One such case is the 16,000 hectares which was allocated to Rusken International Limited.

On February 2, 2012, chairman of the defunct Lamu County Council Abdukassim Ahmed wrote to the minister communicating a resolution by a council meeting to re-allocate part of the land which had initially been given to Matt International.

Orengo, who received the letter on February 24, made a comment on the document the same day and asked PS Angote; “Please deal as per the minutes below.” The ex-PS also approved the request to review the allocation.

Again on March 21, 2003, in another instance, assistant Commissioner of Lands Muthomi Ngaruthi wrote to Orengo an internal memo through Angote’s office seeking ministerial clearance to process allotment documents for Fincorp Investments and Shanghai Investments Limited part of the land which had been allocated to Akiro and Bujra ranches in 1976, which the then minister approved.

“In view of the above, I recommend allocation of the land as proposed by the chairman, County Council of Lamu, subject to adequate proof of ability to develop the same for the benefit of Lamu County. May I have your clearance to document the recommendation and/or further instructions,” Ngaruthi’s memo reads.

Adversely mentioned

By Sunday, Orengo was yet to respond formally to the accusations after he promised over the weekend to issue a comprehensive statement at an appropriate time. It is not clear if police will summon Orengo and Ms Angote after Lands Cabinet Secretary Charity Ngilu mentioned the Siaya senator adversely.

“He in the meantime refutes claims by Lands Cabinet Secretary Charity Ngilu that some title deeds bare his signature. Mr Orengo wishes to remind Mrs Ngilu that ministers do not append their signatures on title deeds and therefore she should desist from misleading the public with the aim of causing unnecessary anxiety and excitement,” a statement from Orange Democratic Movement on Friday said.

Sunday, it also emerged that the Office of the President and Lamu West MP Julius Ndegwa at one state of the process approved the allotments.

Immediate former Lamu County Commissioner Samuel Ikua chaired a district de)velopment committee that recommended the allocation to Rusken and thereafter wrote to the commissioner of lands to inform him of the resolution.

“This is to inform you that the Lamu District Development Committee, during its deliberations held on January 30, 2009 at Lamu County Hall recommended that Rusken International Ltd be allocated 16,000 hectares for the purpose of sugar production.

The project was welcomed by the members as it will spur growth in the county by raising the necessary revenue and offering employment to youths,” Ikua’s letter dated December 20, 2011 states in part.

On the other hand, Ndegwa, who was then a councillor, seconded minutes of the council meeting that resolved to allocate the land originally given to Mat International to three other companies, including Rusken.

“Resolution No 51CCL/2011 was proposed by Cllr Omar Ali Salim Basaida, seconded by Cllr Julius Ndegwa Kariuki and resolved as follows; the land be leased to three companies, each company be given 16,000 hectares, investors be removed if they failed to carry out the projects within five years and a memorandum of understanding be signed with the council,” reads part of the minutes forwarded to Orengo’s office.

Rusken International was registered by Farouk Hamid and Hussein Hamid, who are directors.

Documents released by State House last week indicated that Shanghai Investments Ltd does not appear on the database of registered companies.