Kerugoya residents protest against takeover of hospital land

Residents are up in arms against private developers who have taken over a piece of land meant for a medical training college.

Two private developers have fenced off the piece of land that lies next to Kerugoya hospital, whose ownership has been shrouded in controversy for the past seven years.

According to locals, the Government nullified private ownership of the plot in 2009.

"The allocation of these plots had been nullified through a Kenya gazette notice way back in 2009, and we do not understand why the developers are now establishing some business at the site," said John Gakuya.

The battle to reclaim the piece of land was again triggered by the late Anglican Archbishop David Gitari, who led demonstrators to the site back in 2000.

Area residents are now threatening to storm the piece of land should the private developers proceed with construction, saying it has already been earmarked for a public utility.

"The hospital is being upgraded to Level Five status and one of the conditions is that there must be a medical training college, which must be within the premises of the facility for the trainees to move around with ease," said John Mwai.

Hospital sources said money for the construction of the college had been released by the national government but the dispute over the land's ownership had stalled the project.

County Director of Medical Services Hesbon Gakuo confirmed the piece of land had indeed been fenced off, and that the dispute had generated a lot of public interest.

Health executive Wambu Miano said the matter had been reported to the National Land Commission (NLC).

The residents blamed a land cartel within the county government for assisting the private developers acquire the prime plot.