NLC publish names of Mama Ngina'' land grabbers''

National Lands Commission (NLC) Chairman Mohammad Swazuri (right) points to one of the walls which was erected by a private developer within Mama Ngina Drive sea front. [Gideon Maundu/Standard]

The National Land Commission (NLC) yesterday published names of beach plot grabbers in a public notice.

The land grabbers were ordered to surrender 15 title deeds in their possession and vacate within 90 days.

NLC Chairman Muhammad Swazuri told the 15 private developers occupying Mama Ngina Waterfront Park to leave as required by law.

Nine islands

And in a separate notice, the commission also ordered grabbers of nine islands in Kwale County to leave within 90 days.

The commission has cancelled 25 title deeds in the islands some of which host luxury cottages.

Prof Swazuri declared the allocations on the Mama Ngina waterfront park and the Kwale islands illegal.

The commission asked the land grabbers to submit their ownership documents within 14 days if they felt aggrieved.

Early this month, President Uhuru Kenyatta gave a directive that the grabbed beaches be repossessed, after launching a Sh460 million urban regeneration programme that includes projects on the Mama Ngina waterfront.

Construction work at the waterfront is currently being undertaken by Suhufi Agencies Ltd and is expected to be completed in the next five months.

Two weeks ago, Swazuri toured the waterfront and noted that 20 acres of the property was in private hands. The total size of the waterfront is 26 acres. The grabbers are now being asked to vacate.

In yesterday’s notice, Swazuri said part of the Mombasa Golf Course should be surrendered to the developers at the Mama Ngina waterfront after expiry of the lease.

The golf course plots to be surrendered are MI/XXVI/367 and MIXXVI/368.

“Upon complaints from the public, the National Land Commission investigated and confirmed that the listed properties were illegally alienated from the Mama Ngina waterfront gardens in Mombasa,” said Swazuri.

Unnamed owners

According to the notice, an individual by the name Mohamed Ali acquired plot number MI/XIvi/1141 (original plot number 408), Nassim Ibrahim acquired MI/XXVI/1141 (original plot number 408), Baptist Fellowship acquired plot number MI/XXVI/638, Pratibha A. Doshi acquired MI/XXVI/378 and Kamlesh Lalitchndra acquired MI/XXVI/1018 (original plot number 273).

Swazuri, however, did not name the owners of plot numbers MI/XXVI/996, MI/XXVI/, MI/XXVI/639, MI/XXVI/369, MI/XXVI/248 and MI/XXVI/408.