City officials named in land grabbing will face the law – Sonko

Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko has warned that any City Hall official who might have been involved in the irregular allocation of land will face the full force of the law.

Governor Sonko said that he is waiting for a comprehensive report on land grabbing in the county before he swings into action.

“It does not matter, even if you are my close friend but you approved those illegal documents, you will go home,” said Sonko.

He was speaking on Friday when he supervised the recovery of a public land in Gigiri on which a private car showroom had been built.

Mr Sonko said the parcel of land had been set aside for a fire station, but a private developer moved in and put up a showroom.

FIRE ENGINES

The governor ordered that three county engines to be deployed at the showroom, saying the land will henceforth act as a fire station and county fire fighters will be officially stationed there.

“This is a public property that was meant for a fire station. From today, we have reclaimed it back and we shall have a modern fire station built here,” he said.

At the same time, Mr Sonko issued a directive that all grabbed school land within the region be recovered and returned to schools' managements, adding that land grabbing is a major challenge in the expansion of learning spaces in the county.

SCHOOL LAND

He named at least 13 parcels of land in Nairobi that belong to public schools but have either been grabbed or registered under private entities, citing the example of Bohra Primary School whose title deed is registered under a private developer, Daniel Comboni Primary School which has been encroached on and part of Garden Estate Primary School which is registered under a private developer.

The City Hall boss added that part of Harambee Primary School has also been grabbed.

At Kinyanjui Road Primary, the PCEA has built a church on the school land and part of Lady Northey Day Nursery has been taken by AIC Milimani.

Other schools that have been encroached on include Lang'ata Road Primary, Lavington Primary, Milimani Primary, Murang’a Road, Nairobi Central Day Nursery and Nairobi South Primary School.

“I have directed my officers to immediately take measures to recover grabbed school lands and fence them,” said Sonko.