Ruaraka land belongs to the public, says Governor Sonko

Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko appears before Senate Committee on County Public Accounts and Investments on July 18, 2018. He said that the 13.5 acres where Drive Inn Primary and Ruaraka Secondary School sit in Nairobi belongs to the national government. PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Governor Sonko said documents available at City Hall dating back to 1982 indicate that the land belongs to the government.
  • The Ruaraka land saga centres on a Nairobi tycoon named in a parliamentary report as Mr Francis Mburu and NLC officers who are accused of breaking the law in the acquisition of the parcel.
  • He told the senators that the subdivision and surrender of the entire 96 acres was done in September 1982.

Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko on Wednesday said that the 13.5 acres where Drive Inn Primary and Ruaraka Secondary School sit in Nairobi belongs to the national government, and was not a private property as had been alleged.

The revelation by the governor contradicts earlier presentations made by the Land ministry and the National Land Commission (NLC), which consistently told the lawmakers that the land is privately owned, and that due diligence was followed in initiating payments to businessman Francis Mburu.

Appearing before the Senate County Public Accounts Investment Committee to shed more light on the ownership of the land, Governor Sonko said documents available at City Hall dating back to 1982 indicate that the land belongs to the government.

NAIROBI TYCOON

The Ruaraka land saga centres on a Nairobi tycoon named in a parliamentary report as Mr Francis Mburu and NLC officers who are accused of breaking the law in the acquisition of the parcel.

Investigations by the House Land committee established that NLC initiated the purchase of the land valued at Sh3.3 billion allegedly after receiving a complaint from Afrison.

Investigators believe that the payment by NLC was fraudulent because the schools were on public land.

“As far as I am concerned, the land belongs to the government and no one should be compensated for it,” Mr Sonko said.

He told the senators that the subdivision and surrender of the entire 96 acres was done in September 1982.

DRIVE IN SCHOOL
He presented documents including maps, minutes of the then Nairobi County Commission to confirm that there was a meeting that led to the subdivision of the original parcel at no cost.

The entire 96 acres include 37 acres occupied by GSU, 13.5 acres occupied by Ruaraka and Drive Inn schools and the remainder 59 acres has been taken over by Kenya Urban Roads Authority for the expansion of Outering road, chief camp and the rest grabbed by squatters.

Appearing before the committee, Land CS Farida Karoney maintained that the two schools were sitting on private land.