- They told the Senators that although they have lodged complaints with the county government to intervene and have the matter resolved amicably.
- This is after former Buxton tenants lodged a petition to the Senate alleging frustrations and being locked from purchasing the units.
Image: EZEKIEL AMING'S
A senate committee has summoned Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir and Housing CS Zachary Njeru over the controversy surrounding the development of the Buxton estate in the coastal city.
This is after former Buxton tenants lodged a petition to the Senate alleging frustrations and being locked from purchasing the units.
The victims averred that both the county government and Buxton Point Apartment Limited (developer) duped and misled them and other Kenyans into believing that they would offer a tenant purchase scheme.
On Wednesday, the leadership of former Buxton tenants’ association and Haki Yetu Organisation said that some 522 victims have not been allocated the units despite being the original occupiers of the land.
John Tsuma, deputy secretary general of Buxton residents’ association and Haki Yetu’s Munira Ali appeared before the Senate Housing committee chaired by Kiambu Senator Karungo Wa Thang’wa.
They told the Senators that although they have lodged complaints with the county government to intervene and have the matter resolved amicably, such calls have fallen on deaf ears.
“Our issues were not well captured during the public participation. Our right to decent housing and our right to appeal were infringed on,” Tsuma said.
Tsuma said tenants were paying rents below Sh5, 000 per month in the old estate yet the same tenants are now being pushed to pay Sh1.2 million exclusive of legal fees and disbursement for a studio apartment and Sh1.8 million for a one-bedroom.
The developers have also priced Sh3 million for a two-bedroom and Sh4.2 million for a three-bedroom apartment within seven days upon the execution of the sale of the agreement.
“The developer retained Sh60, 000 showing commitment by the petitioners to purchase the new houses,” Tsuma said.
The project description shows that the Buxton redevelopment project involves the relocation of existing tenants, demolition of old housing structures and construction of new housing units in the Buxton estate for outright sale to the general public under the affordable housing government scheme.
Ronald Ngala Primary School, Citadel School, ACK Bishop Hannington Institute of Theology, ACK St Johns Buxton Parish, Hindu Crematorium, Central Girls Primary School, Ziwani SDA Church, Residential Houses Hotels and other businesses, surround the project area.
The project sits on a 14-acre prime land within Mombasa Island along Abdel Nasser Road overlooking the Indian Ocean.
It is less than 200 metres from the Nyali Bridge that connects Mombasa Island to the mainland and is a 20 minutes drive to the Moi International Airport, Mombasa.
Mombasa county has a projected population of 1.3 million, 61 per cent of this population lives in poor housing in informal settlements of Mombasa and the county government is privatising a public service of providing housing and then avail the same private good for a very small number of people within the society.
Residents of Buxton were forcefully evicted from their area to pave way for modern and affordable housing to be implemented in the area.
Buxton has also constructed various other estates on its properties within Mombasa. It has sub-let those housing units to residents of Mombasa county at heavily subsidided rents.
The estates include Khadija Estate, Miritini Greenfield, Changamwe estate, Tudor Estate, Mzizima Estate and Likoni.