Kisumu land grabbers put on notice: County government vows to repossess stadium land irregularly allocated to private developers

By Phillip Orwa

Nyanza Football Kenya Federation NEC representative Tom Alila (left) and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga tour Kisumu’s Moi Stadium on Saturday. Left:  Property built on an alleged stadium land in Kisumu.  [PhotoS: PHILIP ORWA]

Kisumu County Government will revoke the Stadium land allotments and titles that were illegally and irregularly allocated to the public.

Executive Officer in Charge of Planning and Development Vincent Kodera and his counterpart in the Youth and Sports Affairs Jenifer Kerre told FeverPicth that they were going to reclaim the said land to construct a sports academy.

“We are going to revoke the titles that were awarded to unsuspecting members of the public. This includes the piece of land behind the Moi Stadium where a church has been built,” said Kodera.

“It has been brought to our attention that the land where the Kisumu dumpsite lies was illegally allocated to someone who is only waiting for us to remove the garbage before he starts building. Let him/her be warned that the parcel of land is the property of the stadium and we are going to reclaim it,” added Kodera.

Kodera said they had received the report of the Commission of Inquiry into the Illegal/Irregular Allocation of Public Land Annexes Volume 1 that was presented to former president Mwai Kibaki by the Ndung’u Commission recommending the revocation of the titles that were irregularly issued.

The officer said the dump-site land was unscrupulously allocated to someone for development.

The stadium land is registered under plot number Kisumu Municipality Block 9/102, while the areas where the dumpsite are reserved for refuse and tipping ground registered under Kisumu Municipality Block 9/122 (Open Space), 9/123, 9/124, 9/125, 9/126, 9/133, 9/134, 9/136, 9/137, 9/143 and 9/144. However, all the parcels of land have been allocated to private individuals.

“The Ndung’u Report and the National land Commission recommends that we revoke the titles of these allocations and that is what we will do, it is a sad affair that even the market is halfway owned by an individual, one wonders what’s happening to this town,” said Kodera.

Kerre, the executive officer in charge of sports, said that upon repossessing the land, they intend to construct a training ground,  a sports complex behind the stadium where a church is situated and a public swimming pool outside the stadium.

 He said plans are underway to build a three-star hotel to accommodate players whenever there is an international match in the City.

 The two were speaking on Thursday when they toured Kisumu’s Moi Stadium to access the progress of the ongoing renovation.

Meanwhile, Kisumu’s Moi Stadium will be ready for use today according to Nyanza Football Kenya Federation NEC representative Tom Alila and Greenfield Technical advisor Lex Vanderger.

Alila, who toured the stadium on Saturday alongside former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, said he was impressed by the work done by the federation.

“When I was elected the FKF Nyanza NEC representative, I promised to ensure we upgrade the Kisumu Stadium and I’m happy that the goal project was brought to Kisumu and you can all now see the results,” said Alila

“I’m happy with the work that has been done in the stadium, I wish to thank FKF chairman Sam Nyamweya  for  supporting me to lobby for the goal project to be brought to Kisumu,” added Alila

The NEC representative promised to ensure that a sports academy to nurture talent is built outside the stadium. Alila warned those who had grabbed stadium land saying: “I’m surprised that land belonging to the stadium has been grabbed and some people have developed the land, how will we then build sports academies to help nurture sports talent?”

Alila promised to ask Kisumu County government to implement the Ndung’u Land Report that recommends the revocation of irregular allotments and titles.

Odinga said he was happy with the work done in the stadium and thanked the Nyanza NEC representative for lobbying for the goal project to be brought to Kisumu.

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