Capital Markets

Tough compensation task for small plots’ owners on SGR line

swazuri

Muhammad Swazuri NLC chairman. FILE PHOTO | NMG

The land agency faces a daunting task in paying out billions in compensation to hundreds of plot owners in heavily subdivided parts of Kajiado, Narok and Nakuru counties for construction of the Nairobi-Naivasha Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) line.

Kenya Railways managing director Atanas Maina has in the past estimated the total payout at Sh15 billion. The planned development of fast passenger rail service will see Kitengela, Ngong, Ongata Rongai in Kajiado County, Kamangu in Kiambu—which are some of the most heavily subdivided places bordering Nairobi—Suswa in Narok and Mai Mahiu get sub-stations for passenger rail services.

The National Land Commission (NLC) will have to deal with 0.0002 hectares (21 square feet) owned by Odillie Mutaka, Stephen Odhiambo’s 0.0006 hectares (64 square feet), Hannah Wanjiru’s 0.0004 hectares (43 square feet) as well as Ayub Wambugu’s 0.0005 hectare (43 square feet) in Kajiado county.

On the other hand NLC chair Muhammad Swazuri (above) could find it easier dealing with larger plot owners including Morningside Heights Ltd that owns 336 acres, Moiyiae Ole Nkaka’s 59 acres and Ruaraka Housing Estate Ltd (32 acres) in the less fragmented Narok.

READ: Local firms to reap Sh60bn from SGR phase II

Mr Swazuri though said the agency is up to the task and has the machinery to trace all landowners using their postal address as well as placing notices in newspapers.

“We want the owners to produce ownership documents to facilitate compensation for the land I require for construction of substations and the 120 kilometre SGR line from Nairobi to Naivasha,” he said in reference to the long list of plots and owners posted in the Kenya Gazette last Friday.

He said once identified, NLC would conduct a valuation audit for individual parcels. He noted each area has its own prices due to their locations and developments thereon.

The Naivasha-Nairobi SGR slated for completion by June 2019 will also gobble up 100 acres of Nairobi National Park as well as Kiambu Grazing Area’s 360 acres.

This is the second SGR phase and is estimated to cost Sh155.5 billion.

It will link the planned Naivasha export processing zones and Ol Karia geothermal fields to the Sh332 billion 472 kilometre-long Nairobi Mombasa SGR.

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