Protests mount over impending slum title deeds

By CYRUS OMBATI

Nairobi, Kenya: A section of residents of Kibera slums have protested plans by the Government to issue title deeds in the area.

The tens of protesters staged the demos in Olympic, barricading roads leading into and from the area for hours, as they said the move was discriminatory.

Tension continued to mount yesterday over the plans following revelations that officials from the Ministry of Lands had visited the area ahead of the planned function on Sunday.

Officials said the Lands Cabinet Secretary Charity Ngilu and Kibra MP Ken Okoth had visited the area Tuesday morning in preparation for issuance of the title deeds over the weekend.

“We are informed they intend to bring President Uhuru Kenyatta on Sunday to give out title deeds to phantom groups. This is aimed at dividing us and bringing chaos,” said one protester. Police said they are aware of the tension and that efforts to address the situation were underway.

“We have talked to the demonstrators and their leaders to address their grievances through other means,” said Kilimani OCPD Peter Katam.

The event was two months ago cancelled over security reasons.

The plans for Sunday are a culmination of a long plan that had caused a row between Ms Ngilu and the National Land Commission (NLC) over her controversial decision to allocate close to 300 acres of public land to a private organisation.

The commission said it did not approve the allocation of 117 hectares of land, which is equivalent to almost 300 acres to a group calling itself Trustees of Kibera Nubian Community and set to last 99 years.

Ngilu allocated the 300 acres in a move that promises to reignite fighting in the area.  This could also ignite violence among residents of the biggest slum in the region if the new owners decide to make use of it and evict those deemed tenants. According to the letter of allotment dated July 30, 2013, the community will pay an annual rent of Sh72.

Such an allocation means the organisation would own almost half of Kibera slums, the region’s biggest informal settlement.

According to the law, it is the commission that is supposed to issue allotment letters of such land to individuals, by working in consultation with respective County governments.  A section of ministry officials and NLC have faulted the move and accused Ngilu of being behind it. The Nairobi County government also dismissed the allocation as irregular, saying much as the aim was noble, the law was not followed.

“We were not involved in this allotment as we don’t have the legal instruments to transfer any land in the counties,” said the Nairobi County Executive for Lands, Planning and Housing Tom Odongo.