Nairobi MCA Faces Threats for Opposing Grabbed Market Land
- MP from Kiambu county and his spouse in Nairobi County Executive Committee are on spot over public market land in South B area
- I wish to notify this Assembly that my life is in danger as a result of my effort to reclaim the grabbed public land intended for construction of a market – Waithera
By Adieri Mulaa
A Member of the National Assembly and his spouse have locked horns with a Member Nairobi County Assembly over a parcel of land reserved for construction of a public market in South B area.
Nairobi South MCA Waithera Chege now says she is facing threats for standing firm to block illegal allocation of the public utility property to the MP and his spouse as private developers.
The MP is said to be from Kiambu county while his spouse is a County Executive Committee Member (CECM) in Nairobi county government.
“Mr Speaker, my pursuit towards repossession of the public utility land parcel in Makuti area within South B shopping centre has exposed me to intimidation and threats by unknown persons”, Waithera told the House.
It is claimed the spouse could have used her position at City Hall to manipulate documentation in the planning department to take ownership of the public property.
“I wish to notify this Assembly that my life is in danger as a result of my effort to reclaim the grabbed public land intended for construction of a market”, she said.
Governor Johnson Sakaja has asserted that his government will not allow land reserved either for public space or development in Nairobi City to be grabbed or allocated to private developers.
On Friday last week, the county government bulldozers brought down a story building under construction on a parcel of land said to be part of a public health centre in Eastleigh suburb.
Waithera is pursuing the repossession of land parcel L.R. No. 209/12621, said to be reserved by Nairobi county government for public use in the area popularly known as Makuti in South B shopping centre, within her Ward.
She rose to the floor under Standing Order No. 92 on a personal statement on Wednesday 9th August, 2023 during a plenary session chaired by Deputy Speaker Kados Kiguathi.
The county legislator told the House that her life was in danger for opposing the MP and his spouse who she cited as land grabbers.
The Deputy Speaker ruled that a comprehensive communication on the matter would be given at the plenary on Thursday 10th August, 2023.
“Honourable Waithera, I direct that you forward your statement to the Office of the Clerk so that the Speaker can give a comprehensive communication on that matter tomorrow at 2.30 pm”, Mr Kiguathi said.
In her presentation, Waithera told the House that organized groups in her Ward were in the process of compiling a public petition inviting the Assembly through the respective House committee to intervene in a civil manner and avert the land from being grabbed by the private developer.
“Mr Speaker, until then, when the petition shall be presented to this House, should something happen to me, you know who to look for”, the MCA told an attentive plenary session.
The two term MCA said she had already recorded a statement at Richfield Police, Station South B under OB No. 09/9/8/2023.
Even though, Waithera said she would not be intimidated by any threats in her service to the residents of Nairobi South who elected her to serve them.
“Let this be a warning to all the land grabbers and cartels in this county that public good should always prevail over vested personal interest”, the county legislator told the Assembly.
That is what we are elected to stand for and represent in this honourable Assembly, she noted.
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