Senate Now Stops Sh6bn Buxton Point Estate Project

The Senate Transport and Infrastructure Committee has suspended the ongoing construction of Sh6 billion Buxton Point Estate in Mombasa over compensation and resettlement issues.

The committee, which is chaired by Kiambu Senator Kimani Wamatangi, made the orders following petitions from a section of Mombasa residents who claim the project is shrouded with secrecy while being implemented on public land.

“There are a lot of issues on compensation, issues of resettlement. We also want the documentation of whole contract agreements because this is a public property and it remains as such,” Senator Wamatangi said.

The proprietors of Buxton Point Company Limited – the firm behind the project – have been summoned to appear before the Senate Committee in 14 days.

Detailed documentation

The committee also summoned Governor Hassan Joho and Buxton Point CEO Ahmed Badawy to present detailed documentation about the project’s joint venture agreement.

Buxton Point Company is associated with Mombasa tycoon Suleiman Shahbal.

The project, which has been in the works since 2016, received a legal green light in March 2021 after the High Court dismissed a case seeking to stop the venture.

A section of Buxton residents wanted Mr Shahbal stopped from moving into the site, saying he did not have the capacity to tamper with any portion of the land where the estate stands.

Enough time

Justice Sila Munyao dismissed the petition saying the county had given the applicants enough time to vacate and even volunteered to compensate them.

Mombasa County on March 19 began issuing a relocation allowance of Sh240,000 to the affected tenants. In addition, the developer paid a Sh60,000 deposit for each family as commitment for buying the units.

Under the scheme, a one-bedroom house will be sold for Sh1.8 million, while a two-bedroom unit will go for Sh3 million. A four-bedroom unit will be sold for Sh4.2 million.

There will also be bedsitters going for about a million shillings.

Phase one of the two-phase project will be completed early next year.