Dr Muhammad Swazuri, the National Land Commission chairman. PHOTO | FILE
National Land Commission chairman Muhammad Swazuri has been threatened with contempt of court proceedings after issuing a vacate notice to more than 2, 000 families residing on land claimed by Kenyatta University.
The residents said they had been issued with a one-month notice to vacate the disputed land to allow for the construction of a Sh3 billion children’s hospital by Kenyatta University.
In a letter addressed to Dr Swazuri dated January 16, the families are demanding that the directive be withdrawn or else they would go ahead to seek the contempt of court charges.
Through their lawyer Kabue Thumi, they argued that High Court judge Josephine Nyamweya had stopped their eviction until three suits over the disputed 130 acres of land are heard and determined.
They claimed that Dr Swazuri had acted contrary to the existing order by issuing them with the vacate notice.
“There are existing barring orders in place until the substantive suits are heard and determined. Consequently, the directive with tremendous respect amounts to contempt of court as the same runs counter to the spirit of the orders issued,” said Mr Thumi.
He claimed the directive was issued by Dr Swazuri on January 16 through a local daily newspaper.
“We would like to bring to your attention that these three suits are pending. Further there are injunctive orders in place. In view of the foregoing, we would wish to have your written confirmation withdrawing your directive,” read the letter.
According to Dr Swazuri, a probe conducted on the said land indicated that it belongs to the university and therefore the residents are merely squatters.
The university administration says efforts to evict them in the last 13 years had been futile and had since delayed the construction of the multi-billion shilling hospital.
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