Residents of Bula Salama village in Tana River county on Thursday took to the streets to protest the proposed construction of the Sh60 million county assembly speaker’s official residence.
They claimed the planned project was to be done on their ancestral land.
Ahmed Galgalo, one of the residents, said that the seven-acre piece of land belongs to the community and it was wrong for any construction to commence before consulting them.
“For the past four months, unknown people have been coming on motorbikes at night to put beacons, but when they see us, they flee,” he said.
Human rights activist Dahir Daud vowed to contest the matter in court if the stalemate will not be resolved.
“Devolution was purposed to involve the public in everything involving them whether development, budget or lands,” Dahir said.
The chief executive for Lands Javan Bonaya told journalists that the land in question was allocated by the previous government and approved by the county assembly.
He, however, said the Hola Municipality Board had proposed that such projects be implemented in Dayate area, about 30 kilometres from the central business district.
This would be in line with the spatial plan that advocates for the relocation of the county government offices.
Assembly clerk Abdulahi Dayib Hussein said the county assembly had all the necessary documentation for the land.
Assembly Speaker Michael Justin Nkaduda has been residing in a leased building and is expected to enjoy rental perks of Sh75,000 monthly till 2022.
(Edited by O. Owino)
