Winnie Odinga the daughter the AU Representative Hon Raila Odinga has found herself in a heated exchange over her sentiments that castigated Nandi Governor Stephen Sang actions.
Governor Sang who was arrested and taken to Kisumu Police station before the court ruled his arrest as unwarranted, was making headlines after a video of him uprooting tea at Kibwari Tea Farm was widely shared in media.
Nandi Governor Sang led hundreds of residents in uprooting tea at EPK tea estate in the county on Friday evening. He said the county government was forcefully reclaiming land allocated to the multinational company saying it was irregularly allotted pic.twitter.com/WJMn1rcS9d
— Daily Nation (@dailynation) June 8, 2019
Winnie Odinga who has stood as a top critical analyst of Kenya political scene, criticized Governor Sang’s action. Winnie Odinga termed his actions as sabotage of the economy.
“Tea is the number one export in the country. This type of retrogression killed a thriving Zimbabwe, Winnie stated.
She went ahead to ask Lawyer Donald Kipkorir two questions:
1. what constitutes economic sabotage?
2. Do county governments have absolute power when it comes to national resources?
However Winnie Odinga has had to answer very hard after her attack on Governor Sang.
One user has boldly told Winnie that Tea is no longer valuable to the people of Nandi County and that they need the land which Governor Sang was reclaiming for grazing.
Tea isn’t that lucrative anymore,according to rumors from tea farmers!.
The community needs its grazing land& cattle dip ,this being a community land it’s use can only be determined by the said community in whatsoever way the community likes.— Mutichilo Mike (@MutichiloMike) June 10, 2019
But according to Winnie Odinga, that is a misconception that has been instilled into the people of Nandi County that is killing the economy of Kenya.
How to kill an agriculturally based economy 101.
1. Consume rumors and defend them
2. Turn productive farm land into fields for small scale grazing and cattle dips. https://t.co/TX36YthDi4— WinnieOdinga (@winnie_odinga) June 10, 2019
Winnie Odinga has also been accused of defending a land grabbers instead of supporting Governor Sang’s action.
Interesting that @winnie_odinga is not even attempting to challenge the claim that the land in question belongs to the public. Gov Sang must have messed with an untouchable
— Kiarie Njuguna (@Kkiariez) June 10, 2019
However Winnie Odinga has defended herself that it is the work of the National Land Commission to deal with such cases and not Governor Sang.
It's not for you or I to challenge. There is no land dispute under the sun that The NLC or a court of law cannot resolve. We must all follow the rule of law. Otherwise anybody who feels anything can do anything to anyone. https://t.co/QW4mXVG0I7
— WinnieOdinga (@winnie_odinga) June 10, 2019
Sang had earlier said he will not relent in the fight against corruption in his county.
He insisted the land belongs to the county and is not private.
” Ile mali ya umma yote imenyakuliwa nitarudisha katika mikono ya mwananchi,” Sang said.
Gavana wa Nandi Stephen Sang ametetea hatua yake kung'oa majani chai katika shamba moja linalodaiwa kunyakuliwa.
Sang: Nasikia mwingine akisema shamba ni la raia lakini majani chai ni yake. Mbona alikuwa anapanda majani chai kwa shamba la raia?#SemaNaCitizen pic.twitter.com/CO7mfL5kud
— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) June 10, 2019