By Munene Kamau
Kirinyaga, Kenya: Authorities have warned the public against being lured to buy a controversial plot of land allegedly grabbed from the Kerugoya District Hospital by a private developer.
The hospital superintendent Benson Njuguna said it had emerged that the developer is attempting to dispose of the property at Sh2.5 million to unsuspecting business people.
“I’m cautioning the business community and the public that the structure on the plot is illegally there, and soon the Government will demolish it since it belongs to the Kerugoya District Hospital,” he warned.
Dr Njuguna said ownership of the plot reverted to the hospital after the immediate Lands Minister James Orengo revoked the allocation through a Kenya Gazette notice.
He said the structure was put up by the developer in disregard of the notice but blamed the former senior staffers of the now defunct Kerugoya-Kutus Municipal Council of failing to protect the public property.
“Immediate former chief officers of the defunct Kerugoya-Kutus Municipal Council should be held accountable as they allowed the private developer to put a permanent structure on this plot while fully aware that ownership had reverted to the hospital,” he said.
Efforts frustrated
His warning comes after it emerged a leading pharmacist in Kerugoya town had been approached by the developer to buy the disputed property.
The location of the structure makes it appealing to any pharmacist. Yesterday, Njuguna said he has notified Governor Joseph Ndathi about the development.
He also recalled the many efforts the hospital management board had made to have the structure brought down but got frustrated by the alleged former senior staffers of the council.
The plot as well another one adjacent to the structure had been set aside for the establishment of a medical training college.
