The Muslim community in Nairobi county has castigated the government’s plan to demolish City Park Mosque to pave way for the construction of a link road.
Hundreds of Muslims who congregated for prayers at the mosque today termed the move as illegal, claiming that the worship centre had legally acquired title deed for the land in 2005 and its construction kicked off after approval from relevant authorities.
The Mosque’s treasurer Abdulhamid Chaudry said the notice to demolish the premise was issued unprocedurally in 2015 by Kenya Urban Rural Authority (Kura) on claims that its built on a road reserve without any option for compensation.
Chaudry said that a public enquiry by the National Land Commission (NLC) is ongoing over the dispute.
“We are perturbed by the continued disregard of the rule of law especially when it comes to delay of cases related to land. We immediately demand an end to these violations and call for justice and fairness as we wait for determination of the ownership of the land,” he said.
But Kura Acting Director General Silas Kinoti said they have no intention of demolishing the Mosque but working with all stakeholders towards finding an amicable solution to the matter.
He said that they have been engaging all Project Affected Persons (PAPs) including the mosque’s committee since 2012 geared towards finding a solution to the matter.
“The Committee has been notified of their illegal occupation of the road corridor preserved for the construction of a missing link connecting Westlands to the Thika Superhighway,” said Kinoti.
He said that they have been engaging NLC and other stakeholders towards ensuring that rightful owners of affected land parcels are identified appropriately.
“We urge the Mosque Committee to support our efforts and ensure a suitable alternative is found away from the corridor,” he said.
