NLC should go after Lands Ministry cartels, Taj Mall owner now says

The owner of the giant Taj Mall in Nairobi's Embakasi area is now asking the National Lands Commission (NLC) to prosecute cartels in the Lands Ministry who have been processing allotments and title deeds for public land, weeks after the mall was marked demolition to pave way for the expansion of Outer Ring Road.

Speaking to journalists Thursday, businessman Ramesh Gorasia said the Ministry should be put to task to explain how others like him acquired genuine title deeds appropriated from road reserves.

“There is no short cut in law. The NLC (should) start cleaning the mess in the Ministry of Lands instead of hurting innocent Kenyans who are in this country to do business,” he said, adding that bringing down a mall like Taj Mall was a shortcut by the NLC not to hold those accountable for the land grabbing menace in the city.

READ: Taj Mall title revoked to clear the way for Outer Ring Road works

"Wrong interpretation"

The NLC however dismissed Mr Gorasia’s call, saying his interpretation of the law is wrong.

“We will not bend (the law) to suit his personal gains,” said chief executive officer and Secretary to the Lands body, Tom Aziz.

He added that Mr Gosaria was yet to make good his threat to sue the NLC.

Mr Gorasia however said in yesterday’s media briefing that he will not take the NLC to court, but will instead wait for them to serve him with a court order, claiming that the Mohamed Swazuri-chaired commission had no power to revoke his title deed.

“A gazette notice is not the law but a public awareness notification,” he said.

The businessman also said that the NLC threats have been hurting his business, claiming he was losing up to Sh25 million annually.

“These threats of bringing down Taj mall have really been hurting my business since 2012, I have been making a loss of Sh25 million yearly over unoccupied spaces,” said Mr Gorasia.

Mr Gorasia says he acquired the 1.75 acres of the amalgamated land in 1991 and another two acres in 1995 from Abuja Ltd, before joining the two parcels and investing a $5 million (about Sh500 million) using a loan borrowed from Shelter Afrique to build the structure.

Apart from Taj Mall, some of the businesses affected by planned demolitions along Outer Ring Road include Oil Libya in Embakasi, Safeway Supermarket, Jogoo Petrol Station in Outering and Gulf Energy among others.

Up to 74 properties in Fedha and Tassia estates were listed in the NLC notice as being among those required to give up at least seven metres of their land from the current road limit.