By Lauryne Akoth
Nairobi Senator is on the hot seat after allegations were tabled to the senate on affordable housing stolen land.
The governor appeared before the senate disciplinary committee on Tuesday, after having missed several summons by the committee over the implementation of the Urban City Renewal Plan undertaken by the county government of Nairobi, which warranted him a Ksh 500,000 fine.
The Nairobi Urban Regeneration initiative involves the revitalization of 13 neighbourhoods within the city, with the initial focus on seven, namely Woodley, Jericho, Ziwani, Maringo, Bahati, Lumumba, and Kariobangi North. A petition to halt the implementation of the renewal plan was filed in the senate by residents of 3 estates namely: Ofafa Jericho, Ofafa Lumumba, and Maringo.
They alleged that the land meant for the revitalization plan belonged to them and not to Nairobi county as purported by Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja. The residents of the selected neighbourhoods for the revitalization project asserted their land ownership through a tenant purchase scheme implemented during the construction of their homes by the Nairobi City Council and the state of Israel in the 1980s and 1990s.
However, Sakaja claimed that the agreement they claimed was non-existent.
“I asked them for a copy of the agreement if they have it. Chair sometimes there is an urban legend that kunakuwanga na hii agreement but it is not there in the county and if it is not there, we cannot create one now,” he said.
The governor further stated that the committee had the power to summon the agreement from the county of Israel if it existed however as per the county records, the agreement does not exist.
He proceeded to affirm that the residents who alleged to be under the tenant purchase scheme need not spend additional funds to own the new housing units. ” To grant ownership to the people of Nairobi for the contributions they have made over the years in those estates and to make sure the estates retain their character, they have been loyal tenants to the county of Nairobi and now they will be owners,” he said.
In response to inquiries about whether the county possesses the title deeds for the estates, the governor mentioned that the documents are presently being processed by the Ministry of Lands, Housing, and Urban Development.
The senator of Kiambu County Karungo Wathang’wa demanded that Sakaja provide the disciplinary committee with copies of the proposed memorandum of understanding with the beneficiaries and a copy of his cabinet resolution within 14 days.
The Senate committee directed the Nairobi County Government to halt the execution of the plan until thorough public engagement is conducted and the concerns raised by the affected residents in their petition are resolved.
Governor Sakaja however opposed the decision to halt the implementation of the plan arguing that seven contracts have already been signed with developers.