Some days after president William Ruto appointed a Kwale resident Abdillahi Sagaf to chair National Land Commission a section of Kwale residents have vehemently protested the appointment.
Once his name is approved by the national parliament Sagaf will be the second Kwale resident to be at the helm of NLC after Mohamed Siwazuri.
However, Wasini residents claim that Sagaf is not the right person for the position that requires a citizen of high integrity since it deals with safeguarding citizens resources.
They want the parliament to consider the fact that the Wasini island case between them and Sagaf is still active and if given the chance they will not get justice.
Led by Ali Abdallah Mohamed the residents want president William Ruto to consider another qualified Kwale local apart from Sagaf whose books with integrity are not clean until their land case is amicably handled.
“He is Sagaf’s son who we have been fighting to retain this land that his father claimed ownership despite us just allowing him to be our trustee. We want the parliament to ask him if he will be able to allow justice to prevail while the case is still active in case the president cannot appoint another person after our outcry,” said Mohamed.
Rashid Mohamed questioned the criteria used by the president to appoint Sagaf to such a critical position.
“This is one person we are in court with on matters of land. How are we sure he will allow justice to take place? Again the issue of land is not only in Kwale but the entire country. If he has failed in Wasini how will he be competent to handle the country’s docket that deals with resources?” he posed.
Rashid wants president william Ruto to reconsider his chairmanship appointment to save himself from shame by appointing someone who is not honest.
The residents claimed that a few years ago they were invaded by police officers where some of them were injured due to the Wasini island land dispute between them and the Sagaf family.
“It is Sagaf who in collaboration with police did that to our people. We are not convinced he can handle the docket let the president get someone else,” said Farouq Mohamed.
They claimed that Sagaf is looking for such positions to ensure the Wasini island land is taken away from locals.
Ahmed Tsuma, also a resident, said that they will not allow Sagaf to take over the position since he has failed the integrity test from his village on matters of land.
