Mugo says Land Commission reneged on Lapsset land payment

Lamu County deputy Governor Eric Mugo (left) and JKUAT Vice Chancellor Prof Mabel Imbuga during the signing of an MOU for a three-year partnership deal that is expected to improve the county's agricultural potential and food security in February 2014. Mr Mugo says National Land Commission reneged on Lapsset land payment. PHOTO | SALATON NJAU | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • County officials say the national government did not pay for all the 70,000 acres of land allocated to the Lamu Port South Sudan Ethiopia Transport corridor project.
  • Other acres were reserved for Lapsset Police Station at Kililana whose construction has been completed.

County officials say the national government did not pay for all the 70,000 acres of land allocated to the Lamu Port South Sudan Ethiopia Transport corridor project.

The devolved government has instead vowed to reject the move by the National Land Commission to give the parcel to Lapsset.

Speaking to the Nation on Sunday, Deputy Governor Eric Mugo said the county government had written to the NLC concerning the matter and was waiting for a response.

He added that if NLC did not write back, the devolved government would go to court to block the allocation of the land to the project.

Mr Mugo said only a few acres at Kililana and Mashunduani areas had bee paid for.

He said the land the national government had paid for was the one housing Lapsset headquarters and other offices and the three berths.

Other acres were reserved for Lapsset Police Station at Kililana whose construction has been completed.

Mr Mugo said the land set aside for construction of the buildings could not be 70,000 acres.

“More than 3,000 people live in the targeted land and evicting them is not feasible,” the deputy county boss said.

He added families had neither been notified of the intended eviction nor compensated for their land.

Mr Mugo said NLC should stick to what was agreed on with the county government and “not force things down our throats”.

“The quoted acreage by the NLC is more than what had been previously agreed. If one acre of land was going for Sh1.5 million, then the national government could not have used Sh1 billion only to compensate our people. The correct figure for the 70,000 acres should be Sh105 billion,” he said.

COMPREHENSIVE CONSULTATIONS

“If the 70,000 acres are taken, it would mean even people at Swahili Scheme, Bobo, Hindi and Magogoni will be displaced.”

Mr Mugo said the county government and the NLC must have comprehensive consultations before any decision was arrived at.

The deputy county boss also denied that the devolved government was opposed to the project, insisting that officials were only keen on ensuring that Lamu residents got justice.

“Those saying we are opposed to Lapsset or any other project by the national government should stop. We are against processes that are not transparent or do not involve the county government,” he said.

A few residents who talked to the Nation said NLC must hold talks with the county government on the land matter.

Nihla Shili said if the national government needed 70,000 acres, it should increase compensation to families in the affected areas.

“I understand the government compensated Kililana and Mashunduani residents. There is no way 70,000 acres can be acquired for Sh1 billion. Let there be transparency and accountability in the process. The county leadership should be consulted,” Shili said.

Contacted, NLC Chairman Muhammad Swazuri said the 70,000 acres were reserved for the project long before devolution came into effect.

“The land was reserved to the Lapsset Authority in 2011. NLC is just complying with what was agreed between Lamu County Council and the national government,” Dr Swazuri said.

“We haven’t made any mistakes since the devolved government is a successor of the county council.”