The government has assured residents of South B in Nairobi that their complaints over grabbed public lands in the area will be addressed.

Lands Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome has said the government will review the cases of grabbed land submitted by the residents through their Member of County Assembly, Ms Waithere Chege.

Speaking during the engagement forum with the residents in South B, Ms Wahome said her office has numerous complaints from residents of Nairobi over land meant to be for markets, schools, and other amenities that have been grabbed by private developers.

“I have agreed with the residents that we have to relook the list of public lands here and how the ownership was changed because they believe that land grabbers took advantage of idle spaces which were meant for government offices,” Ms Wahome said.

Modern market

She said as of now, the residents of Nairobi South Ward cannot have an office for the Officer Commanding a Police Station, since the space which was meant to host the office has been grabbed.

“I want to promise you that we will act on the matter and restore what we can. Where I’m required to write the letter to EACC for their help from our government institutions, I will do so,” she said.

The CS said one of the grabbed lands in South B trading center was recently reclaimed. A private developer had claimed ownership of the property and was ready to build a business mall.

“There is one here at the shopping center which had been grabbed but we managed to claim it. We are ready to construct a modern market there. We know that there was a problem with the land but it has been solved now,” she said.

Land grabbing

The CS also said the modern market in South B trading center is expected to accommodate more than 2,000 traders.

On the housing programme, the CS said most of the people living in the slums will benefit once the project is complete, which will put to an end perennial death caused by floods.

“The long-lasting solution is to provide proper housing, which is social housing. It is recommended in slums where people will be paying depending with the size of the houses. I will launch construction of one thousand units of housing programme here in Mariguini.”

Ms Waithera said some powerful people in government are behind the increased cases of land grabbing.