Dispute in payee list for port land threatens project
What you need to know:
- Mr Danson Mungatana, told journalists at the KPA headquarters that the government had already released the compensation package.
- The government through the former County Commissioner, Mr Steve Ikua, had released a list of 146 beneficiaries.
- However, the list was disputed by the county government, whose Governor Issa Timamy presented another list of 62.
- A consultant later came up with a different list, whose number of beneficiaries was not released. Recently, Lands Cabinet Secretary Charity Ngilu disputed all the earlier lists and came up with a 58-name list.
Failure to agree on the list of landowners to be compensated for plots taken for the Lamu Port is putting the multi-billion project at risk.
On Tuesday, the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) expressed fears that if the stalemate persisted, it could result in massive losses to the parastatal.
Its chairman, Mr Danson Mungatana, told journalists at the KPA headquarters that the government had already released the compensation package.
However, he expressed disappointment that despite having signed an agreement with the contractor for the work to start this month, the future did not look bright.
The government through the former County Commissioner, Mr Steve Ikua, had released a list of 146 beneficiaries.
However, the list was disputed by the county government, whose Governor Issa Timamy presented another list of 62.
A consultant later came up with a different list, whose number of beneficiaries was not released. Recently, Lands Cabinet Secretary Charity Ngilu disputed all the earlier lists and came up with a 58-name list.
The controversy surrounding land in the Lamu Port South Sudan Ethiopia Transport Corridor project seems far from over with several residents claiming ownership of parcels along the Hindi-Magogoni Road that leads to the port at Kililana.
They claim they were left out of the list of residents to be compensated.
The government announced two months ago that it had set aside Sh1 billion for the compensation that should have been done by now.
Mr Mungatana appealed to those involved in the verification of the beneficiaries to make sure there were no loopholes in the pay out so as to allow a smooth flow of the port project once it starts.
