Kenya Pipeline launches eviction of squatters to prevent hazards from spillages
It said it is ready to safeguard the pipeline system which is a critical national infrastructure without compromising integrity as they added that they would deploy legal actions to avoid compromise.
Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) has begun a nationwide eviction of squatters occupying its wayleave land in major cities across the country.
In a notice to the public, KPC wayleave manager Stanley Manduku said the move is aimed at safeguarding communities living along the pipelines from hazards associated with fuels being transported.
“Kenya Pipeline Company has observed the widespread and unlawful encroachment on its wayleave land. In light of these violations, KPC issues notice to the effect that all illegal encroachments including structures and activities must be removed within sixty days of the notice. Failure to comply, KPC will initiate immediate enforcement to clear the encroachments,” he said in the notice.
Manduku said it is ready to safeguard the pipeline system which is a critical national infrastructure without compromising integrity as they added that they would deploy legal actions to avoid compromise.
“KPC has followed all legal procedures, and the evictions are underpinned by a court ruling. We have also sought alternative dispute resolution mechanisms before resorting to evictions as a last recourse,” he stated.
The exercise targets 14 counties ranging from Mombasa to Kisumu along the 1,342 kilometres that their infrastructure spans.
He noted that some individuals have set up markets and business operations on top of the lines even as unscrupulous land owners and dealers illegally sell the lands.
“KPC has observed widespread and unlawful encroachment on this Wayleave. Unauthorized activities include the construction of illegal structures, informal settlements and markets, and business operations directly atop the pipeline. Investigations have revealed that unscrupulous landowners and dealers are illegally subdividing and selling portions of the Wayleave to unsuspecting buyers. These subdivisions often fail to provide access roads, leading to the misuse of KPC’s Wayleave as public access routes,” Manduku.
The multi-agency exercise which has already begun in some parts of Embakasi Nairobi involves the National Government Administrative Office (NGAO), the Kenya urban Roads Authority (KURA) and the Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC).
In October last year, KPC held a sensitization forum with the locals and sent two eviction notices before the commencement of the exercise today.
