Members of the public watch as a bulldozer brings down a building in Lang’ata, Nairobi on July 20, 2013. The demolitions are intended to pave the way for expansion of the Southern by-pass. FILE
What you need to know:
The National Land Commission (NLC) has gazetted 8.0851 hectares to be acquired compulsorily from the government itself to accommodate the Sh17 billion Southern by-pass project.
The NLC is expected to meet the affected landowners Tuesday and Wednesday to negotiate compensation claims.
The NLC is empowered by law to compulsorily acquire land to support public projects.
Wealthy individuals, Nairobi National Park and a number of businesses top the list of entities that the State will compensate for surrendering tracts of land to accommodate Kenya’s first pay-for-use road.
The National Land Commission has gazetted 8.0851 hectares to be acquired compulsorily from the government itself to accommodate the Sh17 billion Southern by-pass project.
The central government land is listed as two parcels measuring 6.2637 hectares and 1.8214 hectares held in trust by the Treasury.
On Friday, the Kenya National Highways Authority officials working on the road project would not confirm which of the two parcels belong to the Nairobi National Park.
The NLC will also take over 0.8214 hectares owned by the National Museums of Kenya, 2.0348 hectares from Kiambu businessman-cum-politician Stanley Githunguri and 0.4281 hectares belonging to Gamu Ltd.
Optimum Lubricants Ltd and Lemonde (Foods) Ltd will also lose their pieces of land together with 20 small plot owners and coffee farmers holding 0.5694 hectares in total.
The NLC is expected to meet the affected landowners Tuesday and Wednesday to negotiate compensation claims.
“Every person who is interested in the affected land is required to deliver a written claim for compensation to the Commission not later than the day of inquiry,” NLC chairman Muhammad Swazuri said in a Gazette notice released on Friday.
Empowered by law
The NLC is empowered by law to compulsorily acquire land to support public projects.
But the push to acquire part of the national park for road construction has attracted sharp reactions in the past with conservationists warning of its harmful impacts.
The 30-kilometre dual carriageway extends from Park Side Towers on Mombasa road through the edge of the national park, Langata South Estate, Ngong Road, Dagoretti, Gitaru and Thogoto in Kiambu County before joining Nairobi-Nakuru highway.
A number of conservationists led by East African Wildlife Society have previously appealed to National Environmental Tribunal to stop the project saying it could destroy the park’s ecosystem.
