Ruto’s Involvement in South B Land Dispute Sparks Local Outrage
The name of President William Ruto has been dragged into the dispute over the possession of a piece of land in South B, even though residents have held protests against alleged grabbing.
South B estate came to a standstill for the majority of Tuesday morning as residents protested a private developer who allegedly acquired the land.
Residents, accompanied by South B MCA Waithera Chege and former Starehe MP Charles Njagua, implored the county and national governments to safeguard the land designated for the construction of the ward’s only market.
They lamented the delay in the administration of justice regarding the proprietorship of the contested land with the registration number LR NO 209/12621.
“We have been selling our items by the roadside because we don’t have a market in South B. We need our President to save us from land grabbers,” resident Joseph Musyoka said.
“The government should fight for its people and this includes keeping off private developers from encroaching on public land,” trader Monica Waithera said.
Last month, the developer, believed to be a sitting member of Congress, sent thugs to demolish structures built on contested land, causing an outrage.
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What aroused eyebrows was the fact that the demolition took place at night and a fence was erected around it.
The barrier was torn down by furious residents.
PoliticalPulseChat has established, however, that a security officer claimed to have been sent by President Ruto to the contested land on Monday.
The security officer claimed that matters on the disputed land had been resolved and belonged to the private developer.
MCA Chege denounced the remarks, stating that the President’s name was being invoked in vain.
“Dragging the name of the President in such an illegal matter is utmost disrespect. You cannot come and threaten our people on their own land,” she said.
Waithera, who is also the deputy minority leader of the county assembly, stated that the matter was before the Nairobi county assembly, which had not yet initiated the investigation.
“The matter will be deliberated and the verdict will be made on the ownership of the land. But I will not sit back and watch public land being taken by land grabbers,” she said.
Ex-Member of Parliament Njagua stated that leaders will ensure the people have the final say on the land.
He stated that he presented the land issue to Vice President Rigathi Gachagua.
“Our president has a plan to construct more than 20 markets in Nairobi. We will not let a private developer take over the land,” Njagua said.
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The former representative stated that he would accompany President Ruto to a function in Meru and convey the situation to him.
In a letter dated 19 September 2023, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations informed the Nairobi government of an investigation into the alleged land fraud.
The DCI has requested that the county provide them with copies of survey plans, minutes of allocation, beacon certificates, a letter of allotment, and any other information that may be helpful to their investigations.
A petition has already been submitted to the county assembly’s planning and housing committee.
“That the modern market would benefit residents mostly by increasing employment opportunities, increasing quality of production, creating an environment for healthy competition and increasing consumer status,” the petition reads.
In the petition signed by more than 400 South B residents, the people urged the Nairobi government and other interested parties to demolish the unauthorized structure being built on the contested land.
The petition also requests that City Hall safeguard the disputed land on behalf of the traders and the greater Nairobi community.
It also requests that the National Land Commission and other pertinent organizations provide the county with the required deed plans to facilitate the resolution of the dispute.
Ruto’s Involvement in South B Land Dispute Sparks Local Outrage
