Mombasa governor steps up fight against illegal buildings

Buildings on public land in Mombasa County will be demolished, Governor Hassan Joho has announced.

Mr Joho on Thursday issued a 21-day notice to all building owners whose structures were put up without approval from the county.

He said the operation is aimed at reclaiming public land, including riparian and other wetlands.

“I have issued a 21-day amnesty to all building owners. Those who have structures that have been done without approval from the county government to regularise with the relevant departments,” Mr Joho said in a statement.

After the lapse of the amnesty, Mr Joho said all non-compliant buildings, construction sites and physical structures will be declared condemned and demolished without further notice to the owners.

The announcement comes in the wake of recent demolitions of buildings on riparian land in Nairobi.

PUBLIC LAND

During the National Land Commission inquiry on acquisition of land at the Kibarani dumpsite last week, Mr Joho told the commission to go for those owning public land.

During the inquiry the NLC said it was investigating over 600 cases of public utilities that have been grabbed in Mombasa.

Some of the buildings said to be on public land are those at Kibarani dumpsite, Marikiti, Makadara, Nyali, Bondeni among others.

Meanwhile, the dispute between the county government and National Environment Management Authority (Nema) has delayed the decommissioning of the dumpsite.

DECOMMISSION

The county government on Thursday said it was hopeful that an ongoing case between them and Nema will be concluded soon to allow the process to start.

“The decommissioning process did not take place due to private developers who laid claim on the land and the ongoing case.

"With private developers, things went smooth after President Uhuru Kenyatta said that the title deeds be revoked. We hope the dispute with Nema will be concluded soon,” Environment Minister Geoffery Nato said.

Nema had taken the devolved unit to court for allegedly failing to obey orders on disposal of garbage into the Indian Ocean.

The county wants to decommission the dumpsite and put up a recreational park, a move that has been supported by President Kenyatta.

KIBARABI CLOSED

Speaking at a press briefing, Dr Nato announced the official closure of the dumpsite.

“This directive to close Kibarani as a final disposal site takes place effective midnight. No private or county vehicles or trucks will be allowed to use Kibarani henceforth as a dumpsite,” he said.

He said the Kibarani dumpsite has been in use for the past 50 years, receiving 90 percent of solid waste generated in the county.

Two dumpsites that will now be used are Mwakirunge in Kisauni and Shonda in Likoni Sub-County.