Waititu claims Raila behind slum demolition

By Athman Amran

Twenty powerful politicians allegedly used the issue of security to evict residents of Kyang’ombe in Nairobi because they owned the land.

Embakasi MP Ferdinand Waititu told a joint parliamentary committee investigating the series of evictions in Nairobi County and Mavoko Municipal Council that Prime Minister Raila Odinga, his brother Oburu Odinga and Lawi Kiplagat were allegedly among the landowners.

When pushed by the committee to name the rest of the powerful landowners, Waititu mentioned Mr Cyrus Jirongo, but added that he only had the name of the three and would give details of the rest on Thursday.

"By tomorrow you will know the other search results," Mr Waititu told the committee.

He also claimed that only 10 per cent of the land was in the Wilson Airport flight path.

Waititu further alleged that immediately the KPA villagers were evicted someone built a godown in the area.

"Someone took advantage of the security issue to evict the residents," he said, and pleaded residents should not be moved until a solution to their plight is found. And Kamukunji MP Yusuf Hassan told the committee that the Government was allegedly planning to demolish hotels, buildings, houses and schools within a radius of one kilometre of the Eastleigh Moi Airbase.

He expressed fear that a large section of Eastleigh was going to be flattened, arguing that Kamukunji is only 12sqkm while the Air base occupies 5.5sqkm.

Mr Hassan wants the demolitions stopped so that the matter can be resolved without depriving the residents of their rights to shelter and human dignity.

Kathiani MP Wavinya Ndeti furnished the committee with maps showing boundaries that separated Nairobi and Machakos counties, arguing that Nairobi has been encroaching on Mavoko Municipal Council illegally.

Compensate

"When were the borders changed, who changed them and why?" Ms Ndeti posed.

She demanded that those evicted should not be moved and be fully compensated.

Ndeti and Waititu denied owning any piece of land in the areas affected by the evictions.

At the same time Attorney General Githu Muigai said if the Government authorised the demolitions while ignoring court orders it would have to compensate the residents fully.

He said security concerns should not have been considered at the expense of rights of Kenyans.

"The constitutional right of the people is fundamental," the AG said, adding that his advise was not sought when the Kenya Airports Authority went ahead to evict people and demolish their houses.

"The Government has to do everything in accordance to the law. Should it ever be found there was non-compliance to the law in regard to the demolitions and if found that the evictees had good titles they have to be placed back to the position they were in before the evictions," the AG said.