Ngilu, Kiema seek support to block coal mining in Kitui

Water minister Charity Ngilu and Mutito MP Kiema Kilonzo will today tour the Mui Coal Basin in Kitui. The two leaders who have publicly said they will oppose the extraction of the coal by the Chinese Fenxi Industry Mining Group, are scheduled to hold a meeting with the locals. “We are going to lead local leaders in a massive campaign to mobilize the public to reject the awarding of the coal mining tender for blocks C and D to Fenxi. It was flawed through and through. It was carried out without due diligence,” said Kiema on phone. He said the leaders and the people of Kitui at large were not amused that even after the tender was awarded to Fenxi as a stand-alone concern, other firms namely Jingu and Great lake corporation have secretly been brought in to the scene. “This smacks of a conspiracy to defraud the locals,” charged Kiema.

Keima said Ngilu and himself have vowed not to allow people from Central province to have a stealthy shareholding in the Fenxi at the expense of the people of Mui coal basin. He said they were suspicious of how the Great Lakes Corporation was secretly enlisted in the Mui coal mining tender. “People are wondering how the Great Lakes became part of the shareholders of Fenxi group and taking up the 30 percent participation meant for indigenous people from the Mui coal area. We are going to oppose the mining until the local participation is appropriately factored,” said Kiema. He said in his personal capacity, he would not allow outlanders to reap it big from the coal while the locals languished in poverty for the next 42 years of the full mining tender term. “That can only happen over my dead body,” the MP declared. “We are not going to condone people from central province to benefit from the coal at the expense of the local Mui coal basin populace. The coal mining will be done for the next 42 year and therefore were must ensure proper systems to benefit the locals are put in place before we allow the mining,” ruled Kiema.