On Monday, Prof Chepkwony, accompanied by other county officials, held a meeting during which the land commission backed county’s plans to acquire the land.
Dr Swazuri said under the compulsory acquisition plan, the county would take over the land from Unilever at a cost that is lower than the market prices.
The governor claimed the multinational turned down an offer to exchange the 10-acre piece of land needed for the project near Duka Moja for another piece of land in Chelimo.
National Land Commission chairman Muhammad Swazuri is today expected in Kericho where he will tour a 10-acre parcel of land owned by Unilever Tea Kenya Limited, which the county government is eyeing for compulsory acquisition.
Dr Swazuri’s visit comes barely a week after governor Paul Chepkwony led a high- powered team of county government officials to his Nairobi office to discuss takeover of the land for the construction of a water treatment facility.
“Dr Swazuri could also get in touch with the management of Unilever Tea Kenya and hear their side of the story. The county government is determined to acquire the land for the project as soon as possible,” said a senior county official yesterday.
On Monday, Prof Chepkwony, accompanied by county executives Jolly Mutai (Water) and Barnabas Ng’eno (Land) and several MCAs, held a meeting during which the land commission backed county’s plans to acquire the land.
The commission boss said he had received a letter from Prof Chepkwony on the bid to take over the land for the Sh1.7 billion water project funded by the German Development Bank (KfW).
“I have been informed that unless this land is made available as soon as possible, the county risks losing the funding, which was provided in 2012. Compulsory acquisition of land may be applied in this case,” said Dr Swazuri.
He said the law allows compulsory acquisition of land in public interest on matters of security, defence and for other purposes that serve the public.
Dr Swazuri said under the compulsory acquisition plan, the county would take over the land from Unilever at a cost that is lower than the market prices.
Prof Chepkwony said the project would expand the Kericho Water and Sanitation Company’s (Kewasco) capacity.
CLEAN WATER
The governor also claimed the multinational had turned down an offer by the county to exchange the 10-acre piece of land needed for the project near Duka Moja on the outskirts of Kericho Town for another piece of land in Chelimo.
He said the firm instead insisted that land be subjected to compulsory acquisition, which Prof Chepkwony said had been started.
“KfW gave the money in 2012 and the project is expected to come to an end by 2018. Unless we move with speed, we are going to lose that funding and the expansion of Kewasco to boost access to clean water for many Kericho residents will be delayed. I want that land so that Kericho residents can have water,” he said.
Prof Chepkwony said water engineers had identified the land as the highest point in the area best suited for locating storage tanks to distribute water in Kericho under gravity.
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