The Nairobi county has stepped up its campaign to reclaim grabbed public parking bays within the CBD.
Nairobi county director of Parking Tom Tinega yesterday said in the past one month, City Hall has repossessed more than 200 parking slots.
Governor Mike Sonko had land grabbers on notice, warning that buildings on grabbed public land will be demolished.
Among the parking bays that have been repossessed is the one between Nyayo House and the Intercontinental Hotel where a private developer had converted the space into a private property.
Another repossessed parking bay is along Haile Selassie Avenue next to the Shell Petrol station where the grabber had installed parking payment machines.
“The aim of the campaign is to increase the number of parking slots in CBD in order to save Nairobi residents from shortage of parking bays. The department is targeting over 50 grabbed slots,” Tingea said.
He said the campaign has already started in several areas within the CBD where individuals had redesigned the slots for their personal benefit.
“We warn the grabbers that we won’t entertain impunity. Sonko issued a declaration that his administration will not condone land grabbers and that’s why we have embarked on this initiative,” the Director said.
Sonko has not been shy to declare publicly that he will not relent in his quest to reclaim all grabbed public land in Nairobi.
In August, he repossessed public land in Gigiri area next to the UN headquarters where a private showroom had been built on the plot.
The land was later converted into a fire station which will be used to serve Westlands.
City Hall also seeks to avail more public parking slots in the CBD before the introduction of the Bus Rapid Transport system in conjunction with the national government.
This is aimed at decongesting the CBD in order to end cases of perennial traffic jams in the city.
In June, the
Nairobi regeneration committee identified Limuru Road, Lang’ata Road, Arboretum, Spring Valley, Globe Cinema Roundabout and Riverside Drive as some of the areas with developments on river banks.
Others include Westlands, Parklands and Fuata Nyayo estate.