Railways starts reclaiming grabbed land for mass transit rollout

Kenya Railways (KR) has moved to reclaim its land reserve grabbed by politicians, churches and businesspeople to create space for construction of the Nairobi mass transit railway.

Managing director Philip Mainga said demolitions of illegal structures were under way with priority being given to prime parcels of land within Nairobi and its environs that have been identified for use in the rail master plan.

“Persons who have settled on the railway reserve land within Nairobi and its environs must vacate to give way to implementation of the Nairobi Rail Masterplan,” he said.

The master plan incorporates redesigning and construction of a massive transport hub on part of the 273- acre railway headquarters land as well as flyover roads linking it to key roads across Nairobi.

It is the flyovers that are set to occupy Kenya Railway land currently used as residential and commercial facilities.

Mr Mainga said holders of “illegal” title deeds should also surrender them for revocation adding that a whistle-blowers’ alert platform had been activated to enable the public to provide information about the grabbers.

He said the Ethics and Anti-corruption Commission (EACC) had since been roped in to help fast-track recovery as well as prosecute the grabbers.

“As per the notice issued on September, 2019, we inform members of the public that reclamation of illegally acquired railway land and property (houses) is currently ongoing,” he said.

Among those affected is Neno Evangelism whose headquarter reportedly sits on railway land which its founder pastor James Ng’ang’a claims to have bought at Sh42 million from the Kenya Finance Investment Company Limited, formerly Kenya Finance Corporation Limited on August 13, 2008.