Residents camp at Treasury office to demand land compensation

Protestors outside Treasury building yesterday. [Kamau Maichuhie, Standard]

Residents affected by the ongoing expansion of James Gichuru Junction-Rironi road yesterday camped outside Treasury Building in Nairobi to demand compensation for land taken up by the project. 

The residents drawn from Kinoo, Gitaru, Sigona, Rironi, Uthiru and Kangemi staged a protest outside the Finance ministry offices demanding to be addressed by acting Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yattani.

However, they did not see Mr Yattani, but handed their petition to his personal secretary.

The protestors said they had run out of patience and accused the Government agencies involved of deliberately slowing down the land compensation process.

“We have been lied to and taken round in circles by the relevant Government agencies. We have decided that enough is enough. We just need our compensation now,” said Gladys Muthoni.

The protestors said the road project was deliberately designed to displace them and called on President Uhuru Kenyatta to intervene and ensure the compensation cash was released.

“People are suffering. We are requesting the Government to release the money so that we can set up businesses elsewhere,” said Peter Njoroge.

Kinoo ward rep Stanley Kimani accused the Government of going against a resettlement action plan it had with the affected residents.

“The agreement was that no construction work would start before those affected by the project are paid. The Government has broken its promise,” said the MCA.

Last March, Senate’s Committee on Roads and Transportation pressed two State agencies to explain why compensation for landowners affected by the road project rose from Sh1.4 billion to Sh6.4 billion.

Total payouts

The adjustment increased the total payouts to affected landowners in three sections of the road project to Sh22.1 billion up from Sh17.1 billion. 

Then, Senate directed the National Land Commission and the Kenya National Highways Authority to reconcile compensation payments for property owners along the Zambezi-Kamandura stretch of the road project.

The committee, chaired by Senator Kimani Wamatangi (Kiambu), expressed concern that taxpayers might lose billions of shillings if the variances were not addressed.