Breakthrough in Sh5 billion SGR land compensation

The railway tunnel at Ngong, Kajiado County. The government will this week landowners for property that was compulsorily acquired. [Peterson Githaiga, Standard]

National Land Commission will today start paying land owners for property acquired by Government to construct phase two of the Standard Gauge Railway. The commission will spend Sh10.2 billion on this.

NLC acting chairperson Abigail Mbagaya yesterday confirmed the commission had received the money from the Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC).

Land owners whose property lies between Nairobi and Naivasha will benefit.

Ms Mbagaya said the money would be paid to those whose land is on the Rongai- Ngong line, Ngong –Mai Mahiu- including Mai Mahiu station and Mai-Mahiu- Suswa station.

"The commission is happy to announce, to the people whose land has been compulsorily acquired by the Government that they can now come to receive the balance of the payout," she said.

"We will pay them including those who have court orders demanding that we pay them. We will not, however, pay those with disputes or who have taken us to court." She said adding that the commission would expeditiously pay the land owners to ensure SGR is completed on time.

"We want to thank all the affected persons for their patience and cooperation and assure all of speedy compensation. However, we want to advise those affected to vacate the corridor immediately they receive compensation to allow the commission hand over the site to the contractor, China Road and Bridge Company," she said.

The first to receive the compensation for Phase One were land owners between Mariakani in Mombasa, Mtito Andei and Kiboko and Embakasi in Nairobi.

The SGR project is one of the most transformative 72 mega projects that constitute the northern corridor projects which will affect an estimated 166 million people living in the East African Community bloc that includes Kenya, Ethiopia, South Sudan , Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi.

The first phase of SGR, which is being undertaken by China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) spans between Mombasa and Nairobi, a distance of 609 kilometres.

The project is estimated to cost of Sh327 billion where Exim Bank of China is funding 90 per cent of the project which is Sh294.3 billion, with Kenya providing the remainder.

The mega project was signed in May, 2012 in Nairobi by visiting Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, along with the Presidents of Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan and Uganda.

Once construction is complete in Kenya,  there are plans to extend the standard-gauge line to Kampala, Kigali, Bujumbura and Juba.

KRC used Sh30 billion in land compensation in the first phase of the SGR project where about 5,000 people have benefited from the compensation.