Coast State House land grabbed

Journalists are shown a hotel being built on Mombasa State House land on August 31, 2014. PHOTO | LABAN WALLOGA |

What you need to know:

  • Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) officials and the media visited the site Sunday morning and found a hotel coming up less than 100 metres from State House, the official residence of the President while at the Coast.
  • EACC spokesman Yassin Aila expressed surprise at the temerity by the private developer to grab the land and proceed to build a hotel on it.

Private developers have grabbed Mombasa State House land and are putting up a hotel on it, the anti-corruption commission said Sunday.

This came as it was revealed that the government would convert the former Coast PC’s residence, next to Mombasa State House, to serve as Deputy President William Ruto’s official residence.

Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) officials and the media visited the site Sunday morning and found a hotel coming up less than 100 metres from State House, the official residence of the President when he's at the Coast.

The hotel is separated from the former PC’s residence by a brick wall.

SURPRISED

EACC spokesman Yassin Aila expressed surprise at the private developer's temerity to grab the land and proceed to build a hotel on it.

The house, which is guarded by armed policemen, is unoccupied after the last PC, Mr Samuel Kilele, recently moved out to pave the way for the construction of the DP’s residence. The new Constitution abolished the PC's position.

“We cannot believe this. How can one acquire land in the middle of State House land and construct a hotel? We are shocked because this hotel is almost complete yet we did not know that the land was grabbed,” said Mr Aila.

Mr Aila said this was the first case the agency had handled involving grabbing of State House land.

He noted that the agency has conservancy orders to stop the construction, saying it would take legal action against the investor. A notice board erected on the plot’s entrance showed that the National Environment Management Authority (Nema) had approved the project.

PLOT 'HIVE OFF'

“This cannot happen in today’s Kenya. It cannot be allowed. We will make sure we repossess this land and these buildings have to go. It is immoral and it threatens and compromises the life of the DP,” he said.

He said that according to documents, the plot was hived off the State House land, which has a block title deed and was allocated to a developer in 1997.

“It was first allocated to one Kenyan businessperson, who acquired a title deed for it and later sold the plot in 2013 to a Kenyan couple. The current developers also have a title deed,” said Mr Aila.

He said the conversion of the former PC’s residence could include demolishing the entire building or renovating it.

Other sources indicated that construction work would begin any time next year.