NLC says only those claiming over Sh10 million in SGR Phase 2A to be paid

Standard Gauge Railways (SGR)Phase two A construction at Ngong Station. Picture taken on 23rd August 2018. [Edward Kiplimo,Standard]

The National Land Commission has said that it will only pay those claiming up to Sh10 million in the compensation of the second phase of the Standard Gauge Railways.

Acting CEO Kabale Tache said Thursday they had completed scrutiny and due diligence exercise for 367 Project Affected Persons of a total of 462 in Phase 2A of the SGR that runs from Nairobi to Naivasha.

“The payment process has started with the first category of Project Affected Persons and entities who claim up to Sh10 million and form about 80 percent,” she said.

The total amount to be disbursed is Sh924 million while the second category comprising of 92 PAPs claiming over Sh10 million and forming 20 percent will commence thereafter.

Ms Tache said that the commission intends to complete the entire compensation exercise by June 2019 and they have so far compensated 1,042 PAPs totaling Sh12 billion under the SGR Phase 2 A project.

The delay was affected by a due diligence that was ordered in January, 2019 over suspected fraud.

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and NLC participated in the exercise after the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji said there were complaints of fraud.

The decision to pay only up to Sh10 million was made last week by a team of government agencies as part of efforts to address fake claims.

EACC is investigating some of the compensation cases, affecting those who have already been paid for the SGR land and those who are yet to be paid.

In December last year, the Kenya Railways Corporation released Sh10.2 billion to NLC, to carry out compensation of the phase 2A section.

The money was supposed to compensate persons along the Rongai–Ngong line, Ngong Mai–Mahiu line including the Mai Mahiu station, as well as Mai Mahiu to Suswa.

However, NLC says it had only compensated the Rongai Section, while areas particularly Ngong Station, Mai Mahiu and Suswa are yet to present their claim documents.

NLC has been accused of colluding with land cartels to inflate the land value and in the long run fleecing the tax payers.

From Syokimau and Ngong alone, there are approximately 1,093 parcels of land that required compensation, with that number ballooning as land owners flock Ardhi House to pave way for the train.

Ms Tache’s statement did not mention those seeking to be compensated on their land that has been taken by road projects in the country.