Wamatangi pushes for probe on extortion claims against him
By Oliver Musembi, July 23, 2024Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi (pictured) has asked the police to investigate claims by the management of Tatu City that he engaged in extortion so as to approve the company’s reviewed master plan.
The County Chief, in his letter to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), wants the real estate firm’s Chief Operations Officer Preston Mendenhall summoned to prove the allegations which he described as “false, malicious, and defamatory.”
“As you may be aware, Mendenhall issued a press briefing on July 10, 2024, making allegations of extortion by myself and the County Executive Committee Member (CECM) in charge of Lands, Housing, Physical Planning and Urban Development Salome Wainaina in a presentation attached hereto,” reads the letter which also copied to the Office of Director of Public Prosecution (ODPP).
The Governor has listed correspondences including letters and emails between his office and Tatu City and even physical meetings between the parties which he asked the investigative agencies to review.
“To our dismay, Mr Preston chose to carry out a media briefing with intent to malign, making allegations of extortion by the Governor and the CECM,” Wamatangi contends in the letter.
He adds; “To set the record straight, I issued a press statement on July 1, 2024, clarifying the issues to the public that the County Government of Kiambu, in reviewing the Tatu City Master Plan requested them to surrender land for public use,
“The land is to be used in building essential public amenities for the benefit of Kiambu people in line with the Physical and Land Use Planning Act (PLUPA) 2019 and the Development Permission Control (General) Regulations 2021.”
Wamatangi further claims that the Tatu CEO continued to malign him and the CECM in a letter dated July 14, by claiming they were following their personal interests.