Residents of Kisumu ndogo yesterday differed with the Kenya Airports Authority over the expansion of the Malindi international Airport at a cost of Sh5.6 billion.
The residents say the KAA brought surveyors to the land earmarked for the expansion without involving the residents.
They questioned why the authorities have started surveying land without involving those who will be affected by the project. The differences emerged during a baraza at Furunzi called by the KAA to inform them of the surveyors and the progress of the expansion project.
KAA senior officials said the surveyors will identify the areas that will fall within the expansion plan at Kwachocha, Kisumundogo, Furunzi and Majengo Mapya. Peter Mungai, the chairman of the Malindi Airport Residents Forum, said the lands earmarked for expansion have pending court cases.
He questioned how the KAA would survey land that is in dispute.
Mungai said it would be better if the surveying was stopped until the cases are concluded.
“Most of the expansion lands in Kisumu Ndogo have land ownership cases still pending at the High Court in Malindi,” he said.
Other speakers also echoed his sentiments and wondered why elected leaders were not involved in the process. Resident Mathias Kazungu said the survey should be stopped as it is an important process of identifying the genuine owners, which will be crippled with the court cases.
He wondered who the government would compensate as the land owners were unknown, whether the tenants or those with fake title deeds. Resident Hassan Katana said the authorities should be clear since earlier reports showed there was an environmental threat if the airport was expanded in Malindi.
