Sakaja’s team demolishes MCA’s apartment built on grabbed land in Eastleigh
The Nairobi County Government has achieved a significant victory by reclaiming a piece of grabbed land within the Eastleigh Airbase Ward.
After months of dispute with the local Member of the County Assembly (MCA) over land ownership, the county enforcement team, accompanied by law enforcement officers, took decisive action on Friday, August 4.
Governor Johnson Sakaja’s team oversaw the demolition of a two-story unfinished structure that had been erected on the contested land.
Official documents indicate that the area’s MCA, Mr Fuad Hussein Mohammed, had sought approval from the County Planning team to use the land for establishing his office. Notably, this land also houses the Eastleigh Health Center.
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Last December, the Eastleigh Health Centre sought the County Urban Planning sector’s intervention due to demolishing old structures. This demolition was done to make way for a new building intended to serve as the MCA’s office.
The County Secretary’s office records also documented complaints from the Eastleigh Airbase Residents’ lobby. The community expressed concerns about land grabbing and the lack of transparency.
The community’s sentiment was summed up in a letter, which read in part: “We strongly believe in community action, and we vowed to protect it even with our lives. It has become evident to the residents of Eastleigh Airbase that the current MCA is up to no good, and we, as the community, have information that he has ulterior motives of constructing commercial property on public land, especially land designated for a hospital that serves the most vulnerable citizens, including the elderly and children.”
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The residents lamented the absence of proper public participation and consultation with local administration, Nyumba Kumi (neighborhood watch) groups, youth/women organizations, and the religious community.
Responding to the demolition, Mr Fuad attributed the action to personal differences with Governor Sakaja.
In a social media post, he suggested that the move followed his outspoken demand for accountability from the governor’s office and all County Executive Committee Members.
In his statement, Mr Fuad said, “Sakaja Johnson, there’s no way that you’re taking the beef to the ground…if you think that you can silence me, you’re very wrong. I won’t be ridiculed. I’ll expose your impunity until the last minute.”
With the successful repossession of the land, the County’s Building, Environment, and Urban Planning sector emphasized its commitment to combating land grabbing.
The sector has introduced a development plan to evict land grabbers from public properties and regulate building encroachments.
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