• Rironi-James Gichuru Road being expanded to ease flow of traffic from city centre
• There are fears that cost may rise in the wake of payment delays
Image: FRANK MUCHUGU
The National Land Commission is on the spot over alleged irregular adjustment of compensation funds for those affected by the dualling of A104 Rironi-James Gichuru Road.
The Senate Standing Committee on Roads and Transportation yesterday put the commission to task amid disclosure that a consultant approximated the compensation as Sh1.4 billion before pushing it to Sh5.1 billion.
A letter to Treasury CS Henry Rotich by his Transport counterpart James Macharia showed that the NLC requested for Sh6.5 billion for compensation and administrative costs.
The NLC, according to a KeNHA report, reviewed the amounts and set the figure at Sh5,169,594,179 for payment to those affected in Zambezi-Kamandura.
The road is being expanded into a six-lane dual carriageway to ease the flow of traffic into and out of the city centre.
The committee, chaired by Kiambu Senator Kimani Wamatangi, warned of possible loss of taxpayers money if the variances are not addressed.
The team also warned that the project cost may increase in the wake of delays in compensation.
NLC and KeNHA representatives appeared before the committee following a petition by the affected landowners.
The representatives were acting NLC deputy CEO Francis Borr and KeNHA Director General Peter Mundinia.
Borr could not explain of the variances clearly, only saying that the figure arose after the commission conducted a review of the land needed for the works.
Senators sought clarification on who should adjust the cost of land. They also wanted to be told why the commission attempted to degazette people’s private property.
The petitioners, through their chairman Kimani Njuki, alleged that there was favouritism in the identification of those getting their compensation money.
They said there are cases when the lands agency has only released payment for one person, raising the question of the criteria used to arrive at such a decision.
“We were cleared for compensation in March last year. One year later, we have not been paid yet some of us have loans attached to the affected properties,” Njuki said.
Kitui's Enoch Wambua sought a breakdown of the declared costs and called for harmony between NLC and roads agencies.
Borr said the commission had Sh726 million for 134 persons in the first lot of those currently being compensated. There are two more lots.
He said Sh538 million was paid to 84 people (PAPs). Out of that amount Sh300 million was paid to 51 landowners and Sh100 million to 34 PAPs.
“We have not released the rest of the money because of disputes over the ownership of the land in question,” the NLC deputy Chief Executive Officer said.
The legislators warned the commission of likely court cases if matters of delayed compensations and variations in costs are not solved amicably.
This was after NLC said they may withdraw acquisition of land and stop paying displaced persons.
Wamatangi directed the two agencies to ensure the process is flawless and that every action is backed by law.
NLC has been in the news over land compensation for development projects.
Some of its officials, both current and former, are in court over alleged loss of Sh2.8 billion paid out for SGR land in Embakasi.