Tatu City tells Waititu to keep off its land

Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu (pictured) has ordered Tatu City to surrender 10 per cent of its land to the county government for public use.

Perhaps to show how serious the county is on the matter, the county secretary Martin Njogu placed an advert in the local dailies informing all land owners and developers who have not surrendered 10 per cent of their land to do so.

“The Physical Planning Act is very clear that any developer must surrender 10 per cent of the entire land to the county government for public use. That is what, as a county, we are telling Tatu City to do. The company should know that approval of building plans by the company will be hinged on the compliance with the law,” said Governor Waititu.

In the advert, Dr Njogu indicated that pursuant to Physical Planning Act 1996, all land owners or agents involved in scheme plans of land subdivisions or master plan developments, should surrender land suitable and adequate for public use.

“The surrendered land shall be exclusive for public purposes, public facilities, recreational facilities and open spaces,” he indicated in the advert.

The official explained that this will allow the county government to plan and implement development of urban services.

“The county government shall, in all circumstances, be the custodian of all surrendered land and no land owner or agent shall either transfer or sub-lease the land to individuals, agencies or institutions, neither shall they develop the land for public use,” he said.

Tatu City has however dismissed calls to surrender land to the county government.

In a statement, Tatu City’s head of corporate affairs Chris Barron, termed the remarks by the governor as an assault on the constitutional rights of the company.

“The remarks by the governor are highly damaging to Kenya’s investment climate and lack any legal or planning justification. Tatu City is not a subdivision, rather, it is a new city with a master plan approved by the government and currently at an advanced stage of implementation,” said Mr Barron.