#CityHallimpunity: Backdoor Deals Fueling Land Grabbing Within Kidero Government

Governor Evans Kidero

In the past four days, Kenya Insights has been on a consistent journey revealing and exposing how a wealthy and powerful cartel has been the frustrating justice system. A public listed land in Eastleigh that was open for PPP by the County Council has been marred with controversies, interminable wrangles that have seen Alfa Traders illegally put up a structure on the claimed land.

The land that originally belongs to the County Government the legal custodians with the title deed, somehow Alfa Traders claimed ownership is saying they have the lease. Their claim was nullified in 2008 by the then County Council, Director of Legal Affairs N’gethe. Through a gazette notice, the lease was revoked and termed as fake.

National Lands Commission has also disowned the lease claimed by Alfa Traders on several occasions. But the actions and words of this commission don’t replicate, they’ve gone as far us summoning them through their lawyers Ahmednasir and Abdikadir Advocates to present evidence and convince them to be in the hold of the original lease but have resorted to cats and mouse plays, yet to honour summons.

Alfa Traders recently applied to the Registrar of titles to be issued with a new title to the said land, claiming they had lost the original title. If true that they owned this can they produce a copy of the same to affirm this?

While the court of appeal ruled for the PPP process be refreshed and officials and City Hall collaborated with the Alfa Traders to be awarded the tender. How did the planning department approve the building plans for Alfa Traders with a lease that is in question? Can the County Government produce the title they used to adopt the construction plans for the Alfa Traders? Is this the same lease that was revoked by the previous county council that they used to approve? If the title doesn’t exist as NLC records indicate so, did County Government adopt a building plan without a valid title deed, this is the misuse of office and should be punishable by law.

Still staying at City Hall, Minister of Lands, Christopher Khaemba has been issuing contradictory statements exposing incompetence or the fraud conspiracy within the premise. He wrote to NLC in a letter dated 23rd June 2016 to authenticate the lease to Alfa Traders, the same lease that had been revoked by the previous City Council in a gazette notice 11952 on 19th Dec 2008. The same City Council had written in a letter that seemingly wasn’t served and only meant for hoodwinking to Alfa Traders to stop construction of the mall.

The unending yet ineffective and not followed up to letters goes to reveal the ugly face of impunity. The county council, NLC both who’ve issued notices to the Alfa Traders to stop construction, cannot that they’re unaware that the construction that is going on in the full glare of the public is happening without their notice.

All orders from City Hall have been disregarded, they issue directives from the office and never follow up to ensure they’re effected this simply put a hoodwink and PR measures to keep others busy while construction on a public land goes on.

Is the County Government under a leadership of Governor Kidero trying to tell Nairobians that they’re powerless and not the authority and that Alfa Traders and the land grabbing cartel are stronger than him? Buying time, issuing toilet paper notices and doing zero follow-ups on their words goes deep to show the culture of impunity and tolerance to the cartel. This notion can only be wiped out if the Government is seen to be genuinely working and not just talking.