NAIROBI, Kenya Jan 14 – Trade Cabinet Secretary nominee Lee Kinyanjui has denied accusations that his administration, when he served as Nakuru Governor, rounded up street children and dumped them in the hyena-infested Embobut Forest in Elgeyo Marakwet County.
During his vetting before the Committee on Appointments on Tuesday, Kinyanjui dismissed the claims as “pure fiction,” alleging they were fabricated by political rivals to tarnish his reputation.
The accusations stem from a 2020 Senate report that called for halting Nakuru’s elevation to city status following allegations that street children were discarded in Embobut and Chemasusu forests in 2019 to fast-track the town’s upgrade.
Kinyanjui questioned the credibility of the claims, stating, “This country has the best intelligence in the region, so how come no one has ever come forward?” He added, “For Kenya and posterity, opportunities to serve should not be personalized for gain.”
He further criticized those behind the allegations, saying, “Throughout that period, how come only certain people are known to a specific politician? Which family has ever come forward? That’s pure fiction.”
In 2021, Nakuru was granted city status by former President Uhuru Kenyatta, becoming Kenya’s fourth city.
Kinyanjui, who served as Nakuru Governor for one term before losing in the 2022 election, said the Senate report, which had been forwarded to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), was politically motivated.
“I have my conscience clear. I could never have done that. The people sponsoring this, you know who they are. Let’s be fair,” Kinyanjui responded.
The Senate Labor Committee’s 2021 report accused Nakuru county officials of bundling 41 children into lorries and abandoning them in Chemasusu Forest, Baringo. Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja, then a senator and chair of the committee, claimed the children were removed from the streets to help secure the city status for Nakuru.
The report indicated that at least five children, aged between 10 and 12, are still missing. The committee called on the DCI to investigate the incident, including allegations of bribing street children, and recommend legal action.
Kinyanjui rejected the committee’s findings, calling them “at best a joke” that reflected political bias. He accused Nakuru Senator Susan Kihika of using the Senate to settle personal political scores.
Source: capitalfm
