Stay away from Mombasa housing project land, grabbers told
Mombasa County Planning, Land and Housing Executive Francis Thoya during the launch of the housing scheme for county staff. The county has warned those who grabbed plots in the 10 estates earmarked for redevelopment to vacate them as it moves in to repossess them. PHOTO | KEVIN ODIT |
What you need to know:
- County Secretary Francis Thoya said private investors had grabbed huge chunks of land in the estates, and insisted they would not spare them as the devolved unit had spent millions of shillings to reclaim the title deeds from financiers.
- The county plans to replace old houses in Khadija, Miritini, Changamwe, Tudor, Mzizima, Buxton, Likoni, Nyerere, Tom Mboya and Kaa Chonjo estates with new ones in partnership with private developers.
- Recently, Lands Executive Anthony Njaramba claimed that those opposed to the Sh200 billion housing project were behind the grabbing of more than 50 acres of land at Khadija estate.
The county has warned those who grabbed plots in the 10 estates earmarked for redevelopment to vacate them as it moves in to repossess them.
County Secretary Francis Thoya said private investors had grabbed huge chunks of land in the estates, and insisted they would not spare them as the devolved unit had spent millions of shillings to reclaim the title deeds from financiers.
“Let them know that we will not let them have what they are not entitled to. For instance, several plots have been excised at the Buxton estate and we are going to repossess them,” he said.
He said they had done the same with several other parcels of land whose titles the former council used as collateral to secure funds to pay workers, which they would repossess.
“At the time land was being transferred from the former municipal council to the county, we paid Family Bank Sh110 million to offset a loan and reclaim the Buxton title which is in our custody. This is the mother title and all the other documents out there are bogus papers,” he told Nation in an interview.
REPLACE OLD HOUSES
The county plans to replace old houses in Khadija, Miritini, Changamwe, Tudor, Mzizima, Buxton, Likoni, Nyerere, Tom Mboya and Kaa Chonjo estates with new ones in partnership with private developers.
But the project has been opposed by the civil society, a section of residents and some politicians who have questioned the manner in which it is being implemented.
Recently, Lands Executive Anthony Njaramba claimed that those opposed to the Sh200 billion housing project were behind the grabbing of more than 50 acres of land at Khadija estate. He said Khadija estate was initially 74 acres, which has progressively been hived off over the years to the current 18 acres.
On Sunday, Mr Thoya admitted that there were some “issues” that had not been made clear, and explained that the county would restart consultations with the civil society to try and establish what their concerns were.
“We know for sure that the tenants living in these estates would want to see them improved because they are in a sorry state, with some of the houses unfit for human habitation,” he said.
The official added: “We will talk to the residents and civil society to iron out the grey areas.”
