• Says onslaught against his administration a result of pressure to have multinational tea farms reverted to the people upon expiry of lease.
• Governor says he will not stop pushing to have all past mistakes corrected and landless people settled.
Nandi Governor Stephen Sang on Thursday told off those calling for his resignation over graft, terming the agitation "cowardly and ill-timed".
Sang said the onslaught against his administration was a result of pressure to have multinational tea farms reverted to the people of Nandi at the expiry of the 99-year lease.
“When you hear people running up and down calling for demonstrations against lost bags of cement and iron sheets stolen by common burglars, you should know it’s more than meets the eye,” the county chief said.
“I’m not against peaceful demonstrations pressing for accountability, but those spearheaded for monetary gains. Make sure you are paid before carrying twigs.”
The governor said he will not stop pushing to have all past mistakes corrected and the poor and landless settled in their ancestral farms.
He spoke in Kapsabet during the launch of FAO-funded Geographic Information and Mapping System (GIS) in his office.
FAO country representative Gabriel Rugalema said the new GIS digital mapping machine would help Nandi get information on agriculture and physical planning.
Sang said respected leaders from Nandi have been "enlisted" to fight him, so that he can abandon his demand to have the tea plantations surrendered or made to pay annual land rent.
He said his problem with tea cartels started after hosting the National Land Commission to listen to the complaints of the community on historical land injustices.
“Several farms were returned to natives and community societies,” Sang said.
"The landmark ruling by the NLC rattled companies funding all manner of accusations against me and the administration."
However, on Thursday Sang said the NLC ruling on the settlement of landless people on their native farms would be implemented by his county government.
“If this is not implemented, we will revert to the African Court and International Court of Justice for arbitration so that our people receive their fair share of truth.”
The governor has increasingly faced rebellion from legislators from the county including Senator Samson Cherargei, MPs Cornely Serem-Aldai and Vincent Tuwei-Mosop on various issues.
They said Sang failed to complete projects initiated by former Governor Cleophas Lagat.
Their war of words exploded this week when Tuwei and Serem said all six MPs in the county had come to the conclusion that the governor was taking the county in the wrong direction.
Serem accused the governor of running the county on a propaganda platform like an activist mudslinging and blackmailing lawmakers.
“We are going to return his propaganda against us in kind, and we have agreed with MCAs that we will no longer stomach nonsense from him,” Serem said in Kapsabet on Monday.
Until last week, Sang was enjoying the support of all six MPs safe for Cherargei and Woman Representative Tecla Tum.
The MPs yet to make their stance public include Tinderet MP Julius Melly, Wilson Kogo of Chesumei, Alexander Kosgey of Emgwen and Alfred Ketter of Nandi Hills.