Former Kitui county governor Charity Ngilu has urged Ukambani leaders to come together and protect the Kamba land because there are many people salivating for the land.

Speaking in a burial held in Makueni on April 5, 2023, Ngilu praised the Machakos county governor Wavinya Ndeti, for telling off Trade Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria on Portland land in Athi River. 

"There are so many people who are salivating when they see land and they will come and crush you, Governor Wavinya congratulations I saw you telling Moses Kuria to keep off from Kamba land," Ngilu said.

Ngilu told Governor Wavinya to keep the same spirit of protecting what he termed as Kamba land, promising to support her to fight for the community despite her having retired from politics for she is behind her.

End of last year there was a heated exchange of words between Kuria and Machakos county governor Wavinya Ndeti on Portland land in Athi River, Machakos County. 

On November 8, 2022, Kuria threatened to eject squatters at Portland land in Athi River urging those who live in that land to move to other places before he moves them.

"I will not bow to squatters, but I will look at hundreds of people who I will give jobs right here, I know you are an irresistible force but in me, you will find an immovable object," Kuria said.

"I want NYS to start digging trenches here. Not even a centimetre of Portland land will be grabbed. If this squatter problem cannot be solved by Moses Kuria then who else can? This will be the end of them taking public land."

His remarks agitated the Machakos governor who responded to him on November 9, 2022, warning him against any removal of 'her people' from the land.

"Before you start talking down on us or commanding us you should come and sit down with Machakos people and know where the problem is," Governor Wavinya said. 

She said that those people working in East Africa Portland are the ones who have stolen the land. She explained that before, East Africa Portland was working well before another lot of managers were introduced who took loans against the community land.

"We gave them community land to mine, and after mining, they should have returned the land to the community, they never bought it, then they even took a loan with our land," Wavinya said.

The county boss said that they will not allow the Portland land to be sold, for it is a community property.

"Wewe Moses Kuria shamba ya Wakamba hapo Portland hauchukui na hatukuogopi, niliona venye ulifanya jana, uliongea na ukanitumia video (Moses Kuria, you will not take Kamba land in Portland and we are not fearing you. I saw what you did yesterday, you talked and sent me a video, I am not scared of you," the agitated governor said.

She later advised CS Kuria that he should talk to them nicely because they were not against development but he should not make them look bad to the President. 

Speaking about her absence in Azimio's anti-government demonstrations, Ngilu said she is behind them despite her not being involved directly in the demonstrations.

"I know one of the leaders said they can not see Ngilu and it is very true that you can not see me but am not far away," Ngilu said.

The former county boss also noted that the Kenya Kwanza government has not yet fulfilled its promises to the people of Kenya noting that they promised to lower prices of food commodities and fuel which has not yet been witnessed. By Zipporah Ngwatu, People Daily