Nairobi — Environment and Sanitation nominee Aden Duale has vowed to revoke title deeds of high level state officers including MPs who have been linked to the 66 acre Oloolua forest invasion that has caused an outcry in Kajiado County.
If approved, Duale has said his first 30 days in office will encompass setting the record straight to rogue forest land grabbers in the contested Oloolua forest warning that legislators in the bicameral house will be the biggest casualty.
He spoke before the National Assembly Committee on Appointment chaired by National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula during his vetting as the second nominee.
"In Oloolua matter, if the house approve me, the first 30 days I will work with the Lands Cabinet Secretary to deal with the matter," he stated.
"A number of titles belonging to big people including MPs will be revoked and I am ready to bear the consequences," he said.
Communities leaving near Olooua forest have staged protests several times to protests over the attempt to grab the piece of land.
The locals staged protests and further moved to stop group of people who dug trenches in an attempt to fence off the piece of land saying they will not allow any excisions of the forest land.
The Former National Assembly Majority Leader fired a warning shot to forest land grabbers saying his first actions in office will be to seize the Cabinet of the matter who will issue a memo on the matter.
"Grabbers of forest land will be my business, regardless of whoever and whatever their status is in the society. In the last two years where I was privileged to sit in National Security Council (NSAC).If I am asked, I will say the treat is corruption because its killing our country," Duale stated.
"If you have allocated yourself some forest land be warned if this committee accords me the opportunity," he added.
At the same time, Duale has asserted he is ready to deliver in any ministerial docket within Cabinet following eyebrows raised on last minute changes in cabinet.
President William Ruto has dropped Duale from the Ministry of Defence which he had served since October 2022.
In a communication that caught many legislators by surprise, the President reassigned him to the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry without giving explanations.
Likoni MP Mishi Mboko brought the issue to the fore questioning the Environment nominee on explanations given prior to his swapping with Defence Cabinet Secretary nominee Soipan Tuya.
"Clear the murmurs of why the President swapped was it because he doubted your ability to deliver in the docket?" she posed.
The Environment nominee who has previously served as Garissa Township MP emphasized the President's wherewithal to reorganize his cabinet as he deems saying he will be ready to serve in any assigned docket.
"In the event am approved me, the president can assign me a different docket. That's the powers of the president, we might be reshuffled one week in office and I am taken to defense or any other docket. I am ready to serve in any docket that president deems necessary," Duale said.
This is even as he boasted his academic qualification and experience in public service and private business which defend his suitability for the cabinet slot.
"My academic qualifications, my experience as a Member of Parliament and as a leader in this country, the stint I had in the Ministry of Defence, my age, my role in private sector and business gives me the required testimonial," Duale stated.
He further defended his conduct in the decades he has served in public service saying he has a clean bill of health adding that he has never been indicted by any parliamentary report or contravened Chapter Six of the Constitution.
"I have never been indicted in any report of Parliament, I have always had clearance from the criminal justice system, the EACC and DCI, I have never violated Chapter Six of the Constitution and Article 75 of the Constitution and I think I'm ready and willing to serve the people of Kenya," the nominee said.
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Lawmakers sought answers on how the Cabinet Secretary will help the government achieve the 15 billion trees planting initiative targeted at achieving 30% tree cover which currently stands at 8.8 percent.
The Environment nominee now seeks to benchmark the Green Legacy initiative that has made tree planting a culture among Ethiopians.
More than 30 million participate every year, and on a single day in July 2023 the government claimed 560 million trees were planted.
"I am ready to walk the talk and go to Ethiopia and help the President. Its not about taking a chopper and planting a few trees without supervising how the trees grow," Duale noted.
Kenya seeks to grow 15 billion trees by 2032 and had implored both local and global partners of goodwill to come on board to sponsor the tree planting drive.
