The Mombasa county government has cancelled land allocations at a controversial settlement scheme after it merged that half of the plots went to some of its staff and local politicians. According to a document seen by The Standard, among the beneficiaries is an MP from Mombasa County and 27 county employees.
According to Land Executive FrancisThoya, they decided to nullify over 300 titles at Jitengeni Scheme because politicians and staff of the defunct Mombasa municipal council used their positions to allocate themselves land meant for squatters.
The scheme is home to 500 households representing about 2,000 squatters and was established through a resolution of the municipal council as an extension of the Mikindani World Bank settlementscheme in Jomvu constituency.
The scheme is at a prime lowlying seaside land, hence the appeal to many.
Mombasa county government has cancelled land allocations at a controversial settlement scheme after it emerged that half of the plots went to some of its staff and local politicians.
Land County Executive Francis Thoya said the county government decided to nullify the 300 allocations at the Jitengeni Settlement Scheme because politicians and staff of the defunct Mombasa Municipal Council used their positions to allocate themselves the land meant for squatters.
According to a report seen by The Standard, around 27 of the plots were given to county employees while several others were allocated to politicians including a sitting MP in the county. Several other politicians own plots at the scheme through proxies.
However, the MP denied being given any land at the scheme and dismissed the document released by Mr Thoya. "I am not aware of any land allocated to me there. I was busy campaigning in 2006 and I had no time to look for land. I am going to give a comprehensive response once I get details about the allocations at the scheme," he said.
According to Thoya, the scheme is currently home to about 2,000 squatters who face eviction by the county government workers and politicians seeking to occupy or sell the disputed plots.
The scheme was established through a resolution of the defunct Mombasa Municipal Council as an extension of the Mikindani World Bank Settlement Scheme in Jomvu constituency.
Prime land
"Jitengeni is a prime low-lying seaside land that attracted politicians and council workers when it was established in 2006 through a resolution of the council. Half of the land was allocated to politicians and council workers and that is why we have cancelled all the allocations," Thoya explained.
He was accompanied by Jomvu MP Badi Twalib, who blamed the controversial allocations for raging land disputes at the scheme.
"I welcome the decision to cancel the allocations because this has been the cause of conflicts at the scheme," Twalib said.
Thoya explained that the beneficiaries at the scheme, also known as Maporomoko, have letters of lease and were waiting to be issued with title deeds.
He also announced that the Kenya Informal Settlement Improvement Project being spearheaded by the Government and World Bank has been put on hold until the matter is resolved. Thoya told The Standard a verification exercise will be carried out before fresh allocations are done.
