By Antynet Ford
Nairobi governor Johnson Sakaja has been called to intervene in the grabbing of Makuti market land by Nairobi South residents.
The residents who staged a protest today said the governor has been silent on the matter and it is time for the county to intervene.
Led by the area Member of County Assembly Waithera Chege, the residents have vowed to protect the land from being grabbed by private developers.
“We are here to let everyone know that this is public land. I am calling upon governor Sakaja to join us in getting our land back. We were elected to represent the people. We need to join hands and protect this land. If the land goes, South B will go down history as one of the wards with no market space for traders.” Waithera stated.
The residents stated that since being elected into office, Sakaja left them on their own and has never even stepped in the area even when they needed him most like during the fight for their market land being grabbed.
“We woke up early to elect Sakaja into office but he has left us on our on. Even when there are fire incidents in our slums, we have never seen him. Our area MCA Waithera Chege has fought on this matter and she has established that the land was set aside for a market to be constructed. We want Sakaja to come out and help us secure the land and ensure a market is built.” The residents expressed themselves.
The Chairman of South B Shopping Center James Maina, noted that the contested land was meant to be a safe place for traders who are now suffering from a soon-to-come eviction in a notice given to them by KURA.
He added that even if KURA removed the traders from the walk paths, they have nowhere to go and would still go back to the areas set aside for pedestrians.
He called on Sakaja to join hands with them to ensure the market is protected.
“Traders in South B sell along the roadside because we don’t have a market and KURA recently gave an order for them to move. If we let this land go, traders will suffer in case they are evicted from the roadside. This land was meant to be the grounds where the market was to be constructed but the plans have now been jeopardized.” Maina stated.
The issue has been on the radar of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) who last year wrote to the county probing on the fraud of the land.
They have been investigating to establish how Kiambu Member of Parliament John Waithaka Machua grabbed the land knowing that it was public land.
a letter from the Nairobi county government confirms the land belongs to the public and that the county moved with speed to revoke title deeds given to private people.
In October 2023, the Nairobi City County Assembly Committee on Planning tabled a report to ensure Nairobi South residents have their Makuti market land approving the cancellation of the title deed of a private developer who had grabbed the land.
Documents presented to the committee by the Urban Planning and Built Environment CEC were proven fake.
It was established that the documents which the CEC had come with were fake as they indicated they were signed by a sitting mayor in 2014 whereas in 2014 there was no Mayor as Nairobi had a Governor.
The documents indicated that the land was acquired illegally and the Title needed to read Nairobi City County.
Documents seen by the Corporatewatch indicate that on December 4, 2018, the land (, LR NO 209/12612) was transferred to a private developer, John Machua Waithaka currently an MP in Kiambu County but Nairobi County has never approved constructions to take place on the land.
The 0.7131 acres slightly below an acre which is an open space was set aside by the then County Council for public commercial use (market and shops.)
A counsel representing the residents moved to court to file a preliminary objection to the case being heard by the magistrate as the land valuing indicates the land is worth Sh200 million hence the magistrate lacks the jurisdiction to hear the matter.
The land remains unoccupied up to date and South B residents protested today after it came to their knowledge that the Kiambu MP(John Machua Waithaka) was now using former members of Parliament in Nairobi County to organize and cause violence in their ward over the land.
Waithera has called upon the Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome to withdraw police officers manning public land grabbed by private people in the South B area of Nairobi.
The Deputy Minority Leader for the Nairobi assembly has vowed not to allow former Members of Parliament (MP) nor a sitting MP to cause chaos in her ward.
“I am not going to allow land grabbers to cause chaos and mayhem in Nairobi South. I am calling upon the police protocols led by Inspector General Japhet Koome to withdraw officers manning the public space.” She said.