By MACHARIA MWANGI Posted Saturday, November 7 2009 at 20:32
It is a compassionate act that continues to baffle both friend and foe. Few in his shoes could imagine, let alone attempt, surrendering their valued assets to the less fortunate in society.
Many are questioning the rationale behind his decision, but David Mbau Ndirangu does not appear bothered by the criticism. Mr Ndirangu, 56, who recently gave his only parcel of land to a group of internally displaced persons, says the decision was not long in coming.
“I was touched by their plight, and knowing they had no roofs over their heads, I decided to surrender my five-acre parcel of land to them,” he told the Sunday Nation in an interview. Mr Ndirangu lives in a house that he rents for Sh 5,000 a month. He is yet to put up his own house, and he said he does not own any other land.
“My wife and children are comfortable with my decision and very supportive of the idea,” he said when asked whether he talked to his family before giving the land away. Before his act of charity, he approached an old friend and fellow businessman, Gitau Kio, and beseeched him to do the same.
To his surprise, Mr Kio agreed and donated 20 acres of land in Moi Ndabi on the outskirts of Naivasha town. Mr Ndirangu said he bought the land for Sh250,000 in a process that began in 2000.
After making the announcement to the elated IDPs, he offered to take at least 30 of the elderly to his home to spend the night, where they enjoyed a sumptous meal. “I could not stand the idea of them spending the night in the cold at their advanced age,” he said.
The 347 families were trekking from Limuru to Laikipa and had stopped at Naivasha to rest for the night. The land at Laikipia was meant to settle 136 families, but they had offered to host their colleagues.
It was at Naivasha that Mr Ndirangu and Mr Kio made their announcement. The IDPs decided to walk to Laikipia following delays by the government to transport them there. They began their journey from Limuru in the rain, and four children and a woman fell ill after enduring the punishing walk.
When the donation of the combined 25 acres was announced, they broke into song and dance. They were taken the remaining distance by buses hired by Good Samaritans.
Mr Ndirangu said he developed a soft spot for the less fortunate after going through some difficult times himself when he lost his job. His tribulations began when he was sacked for openly campaigning for then President Daniel arap Moi.
As a court executive officer, he was deemed to have been meddling in politics, and this was against the civil servants’ code of ethics. “I declined to be transferred and despite interventions from the highest level, I still could not hold onto to my job,” he said.
Slept hungry
He was evicted from his rented house for failing to pay and at times slept hungry. “I also struggled to keep my children in school,” he said. He regained his financial footing after setting up a business. “Having endured trying times, I vowed to assist the less fortunate in the society at whatever cost,” he said.
He is now waiting to hand over the land to the government to resettle the displaced and to see them at least with roofs over their heads. “At the appropriate time, I will surrender all the legal documents pertaining to the purchase of the land and the title deed,” he said.
He has offered to transport all the beneficiaries to the land. Special Programmes permanent secretary Ali Mohamed said only genuine IDPs would benefit from the land donated by the two businessmen.
“We are going to conduct a thorough vetting to ensure legitimate internal refugees are settled in the land,” he said. The displaced, said the PS, would be settled on the land after all the necessary paperwork is completed.
Source: Daily Nation
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