The Government has made a deal with Mukuru land owner to ensure no more residents are evicted.
In a statement, Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’I, his counterpart Farida Karoney and Attorney General Kihara Kariuki have also agreed with the directors of the private firm to expedite the regularisation of ownership and the issuance of Title Deeds to the structure owners.
“In the arrangement negotiated by three members of the Cabinet with Orbit Chemicals, owners of the structures currently built on the 95.2-acre land will be allowed to keep them and eventually own the plots where their property is located,” it stated.
The residents will be spared further evictions after the private owner of a disputed land housing hundreds of structures agreed to a deal brokered by the Government
“The Government will waive all taxes and applicable fees running into millions of shillings and provide free survey services on priority basis to facilitate the relevant transfer of ownership,” the statement highlighted.
Already, the land has been sub-divided into 1328 plots, ten of which have been reserved for public utilities including schools, police station, churches and a mosque.
Close to 25 acres have been set aside for access roads in a slum upgrading scheme under the Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS).
Of the remaining plots, 626 have already been purchased by structure owners with 456 among them effectively transferred to new owners.
The new arrangement will focus on the balance of 703 plots that are still owned by the private firm.
President Uhuru Kenyatta had directed all evicted residents of Mukuru kwa Njenga slums in Nairobi be resettled.
He ordered the cessation of evictions in Mukuru kwa Njenga and the immediate resettlement of victims uprooted from the informal settlement on Christmas Day.
The CS, who was addressing Mukuru community leaders, said the Government will instead expedite negotiations with the private owners of the piece of land at the centre of the dispute.
‘’We want everyone who is currently displaced to go back immediately. The instructions are that we immediately cease every activity in Mukuru kwa Njenga until everyone has been resettled,’’ he said.
The CS announced that those who lost their shelters in the incident will be settled in the next 30 days, with a special focus on those currently sheltering in tents.
