Title for Langata primary 'still in hands' of land grabbers

Langata Road Primary school pupils demonstrating against the grabbing of their school playing field

The title deed for the controversial Langata Primary School grounds could still be in the hands of a private developer.

This was revealed yesterday during a Summit at State House to address land reforms. Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero revealed that records of the land at City Hall had not been changed and the title revoked.

"On my record at City Hall, there is no change of the title. I have not got any document saying the tittle has been cancelled," he said.

Dr Kidero was reacting to National Lands Commission (NLC) Chairman Muhammad Swazuri's statement that "the issue of Langata is way behind us. The land has been reverted to the school".

The teargassing of Langata Primary School pupils by security agencies as they protected the alleged grabbing of their playing ground caused an uproar across the country in January last year. This forced Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery to make a public apology over the use of excessive force against the minors.

Yesterday, Lands Cabinet Secretary Jacob Kaimenyi said citizens should be ready to join the fight against land grabbing by naming and shaming the perpetrators irrespective of their positions in the society.

"You are a passive land grabber if you don't talk about it," Prof Kaimenyi said.

The CS appealed to politicians to stop protecting land grabbers because of political interests.

Dr Swazuri said Kenyans had a high appetite for land grabbing and warned that the commission would deal with everybody irrespective of their position.

"We Kenyans have allergy to empty space. Whenever we see it our body twitches and find way of filling it," said Swazuri.

Dr Kidero said his administration had lost over 5,000 acres allegedly grabbed by the Kenya Defence Forces in Kayole and asked the ministry to assist to revert the land to county government.

"The county bought 5,000 acres in Kayole, the army invaded it and took 3,000 acres," Kidero claimed.