Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko. PHOTO | COURTESY
Residents of Mukuru Kwa Njenga slums in Nairobi have won round one of their battle with a city tycoon after the Nairobi City County Government obtained a court order barring their eviction.
Governor Mike Sonko told the residents of the populous informal settlement in Embakasi their land is public property.
Speaking after holding a meeting with representatives of the slum residents at City Hall, Sonko said the disputed piece of land was given to squatters in the 1990s by the national government, but unscrupulous land dealers forged ownership documents and later sold it to private developers.
PUBLIC PROPERTY
“The land in question is public property since the government allocated it for settlement of squatters after a motion on the same was approved by the National Assembly. We are going to present the facts before the court because we know the land is public property,” Sonko said.
The Governor said his administration, together with President Uhuru Kenyatta’s, stopped the demolition of houses in slum areas until the county and national governments implement the construction of affordable houses for slum residents.
“Sixty percent of Nairobi residents reside in the slums. Therefore, we cannot allow the demolition of their houses by a few individuals who are acquiring land and court orders fraudulently,” said Sonko.
DEMOLITION
The Governor also reiterated that the executive order he issued last year stopping the demolition of houses in slum areas still stands.
He asked the national and county government officials to desist from evicting slum residents.
Sonko’s administration is set to construct some 200,000 affordable housing units in a bid to complement the national government’s housing pillar of the Big Four Agenda.
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