Swazuri says no ghost Lapsset landowner was paid

The National Land Commission has denied reports that it paid ghost plot owners during compensation for parcels acquired for the Lamu Port South Sudan Ethiopia Transport Corridor project.

This comes after a report compiled by a committee to investigate impeached Lands Executive Amina Rashid on grounds on incompetence and abuse of office was released at the county assembly two weeks ago.

The report said the commission paid millions of shillings to non-existent individuals at Kililana and Mashunduani villages between February and May 2015.

In a phone interview with the Nation on Sunday, NLC Chairman Muhammad Swazuri said the reports were meant to discredit the commission.

Dr Swazuri said all guidelines were followed before compensation of the more than 100 families was made.

He challenged those making the claims to present evidence.

“Individuals were identified, verified and vetted before being approved by the ministry, the commission and the county government,” Dr Swazuri said.

The NLC boss asked leaders to “stop playing politics with sensitive matters”.

In 2015, the government disbursed Sh1.3 billion through the NLC as compensation for Lapsset land in Lamu County.

Meanwhile, NLC has helped resolve a long-standing dispute between squatters and a businessman over a 6.25-acre piece of land in Mombasa.

Mr Muhidin Mohammed and residents at the disputed land agreed to solve their 20-year row that has seen them in and out of court.

“There are people who have been residing at the land. The squatters built houses there from 1993 and whenever the Muhidin family asked them to leave, conflicts arose,” Dr Swazuri said during a meeting with Mr Mohammed and some squatters at the county headquarters on Saturday.

ACCUMULATED LAND RATES

He said as soon as NLC received the case, it held a series of meetings with the family in which it was agreed that the squatters pay the Sh35 million owed to Mr Muhidin and accumulated land rates.

“Today marks the end of our meetings. We shall talk to squatters to establish how this money will be paid,” Dr Swazuri said of the land, which is behind Ratna Square in Kongowea.

He said NLC would talk to the county government to see if the rates could be waived.

At the same time, structures whose owners have been compensated to allow for the expansion of the four-kilometre Changamwe-Airport-Magongo road will be demolished.

While inspecting the road on Saturday, Transport PS John Mosonik said those who failed to bring down their buildings “will have themselves to blame”.
“Though this project was launched on May 7, 2015, implementation has been slow,” he said.

Early this year, President Kenyatta commissioned the construction, saying the road would ease traffic and open up Mombasa west for port business.
Mr Mosonik said the government expected the contractor — China Wu Yi — to complete the road quickly.

“We are confident this project will be over by the close of the year. The contractor has promised to do that,” he said.

Reported by Kalume Kazungu, Mwakera Mwajefa and Rebecca Okwany