Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha has broken his silence over the Kenyatta University (KU) land saga.
Speaking on Wednesday, July 13 in Pumwani Boys Primary School, Nairobi said all land for public schools belongs to the state.
Magoha’s statements come after KU’s Vice-Chancellor Paul Wainaina declined to hand over the institution’s title deeds to the state who had given the World Health Organisation the green light to construct a research institution at the university’s land.
“If I don’t like what you are telling me to do, the door is wide open, I will use the legs that God gave me and I will leave,” Magoha clarified stating that he would have resigned like Wainaina.
“All land belongs to the government. The government owns everything, including the land I am standing on,” Magoha said.
Magoha’s remarks come after Kenya University council members declined a request that compelled them to hand over the institution’s title deeds.
According to a statement by the council and signed by the council chair Migot Adhola, the title deeds will not be submitted to Head of Public Service Joseph Kinyua.
“We wish to inform you most respectfully, that we will be unable to accede to the request to the title deeds,” the statement read in part.
The letter was a response to a previous direction from Kinyua, requesting the varsity to hand over a section of its vast land.
According to the letters from Kinyua, 30 acres will go to the WHO emergency hub while some will be donated to squatters.