Konza City crisis deepens as landowners stay put

Machakos, Kenya: The crisis surrounding the Konza Techno City project appears that it will not end soon after members of the Konza ranch vowed not to allow part of the earmarked land be annexed to the project.

Led by the society's chairman David Mutangili, the members said the move by the Department of Physical Planning to acquire more than 6,000 acres for the purposes of cemetery, and game park was inconsequential and will not be allowed.

Addressing the press, the chairman said the meeting scheduled to take place at the farm would deliberate and resolve to seal off all avenues that may lead to the possession of the land by the Government without their mandate.

He said they were not opposed to the city project but the truth is that no government can forcefully acquire any property of the Kenyan citizen without his/her approval.

He said the members had already settled and developed their farms and wondered the Government could come in without any negotiation, purporting have acquired the land for the project.

''We should have been consulted before the Department of Physical Planning sneaked in and surveyed the land for the project without our notice,'' he said.

The members fear that the said department is colluding with cartels like those seen at Mailili ranch some time ago to swindle them of their land.

The members are scheduled to meet at the farm to deliberate on the matter. Top in the list is to organise a delegation to the President over their grievancies.