Swazuri says NLC to recover land grabbed from Mombasa’s Mbaraki Primary School
NLC Chairman Muhammad Swazuri (left) studies a map when he visited Mbaraki Girls Primary School in Mombasa where he revealed that four people have grabbed two acres of the school’s land. He said NLC has embarked on recovering the grabbed land. PHOTO | WINNIE ATIENO | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Dr Swazuri urged the county government to help secure schools within its jurisdiction by fencing their properties.
- The NLC chairman said sometime in the late 1980s, part of school land was taken over by Pandya Memorial Hospital.
- The hospital constructed the outpatient wing and a doctors’ plaza, he said.
- He instructed the school’s headmistress Nuria Huka to fence off the school property in order to thwart land grabbers.
The National Land Commission (NLC) is in the process of recovering school-owned properties grabbed by private developers.
NLC Chairman Muhammad Swazuri Monday evening made an impromptu visit at Mbaraki Girls Primary School in Mombasa County where he revealed that four people have grabbed two acres of the school’s land.
Dr Swazuri mentioned Pandya Memorial Hospital, a Mr Waweru, Samju Limited and owners of a madrassa as some of the individuals who have grabbed the school property.
He was accompanied by Mombasa County executive for Land, Agriculture and Fisheries Anthony Njaramba.
Dr Swazuri urged the county government to help secure schools within its jurisdiction by fencing their properties.
He said the school’s land was originally 3.1 hectares but two acres were latter grabbed.
“We got a complaint from the management of this school that part of their land had been grabbed,” he said.
The NLC chairman said sometime in the late 1980s, part of school land was taken over by Pandya Memorial Hospital who constructed the outpatient wing and a doctors’ plaza.
REFERRED TO 1920 MAP
Dr Swazuri said the school’s map and old fence which was constructed in the 1920s show the portion of land grabbed by the private hospital belongs to the school.
“The next portion that was taken was the madrassa. It was also taken together with Mbaraki Girls Nursery School which has now been turned into a social hall, allegedly by the community. A fence was built to separate the school from the two facilities,” he said.
He said the last portion was grabbed by two individuals.
Dr Swazuri said he has written letters to Samju Limited and Mr Waweru to vacate the school compound.
However, he said Pandya Memorial Hospital and the owners of the madrassa must submit their ownership documents within one week explaining how they obtained the land yet it was a school compound.
He instructed the school’s headmistress Nuria Huka to fence off the school property in order to thwart land grabbers.
Contacted, the management of Pandya Memorial Hospital refuted the reports of land grabbing.
“We have not done anything illegal. We pay rates and we have all documents and allotment letters,” said Mr Rajesh Shukla, the hospital’s chief administrator.
