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Barely a few months after the controversy surrounding the ownership title for Jeevanjee Estate land, which was earmarked for affordable housing in Nairobi, another title deed has gone missing.

This time, the missing document pertains to the 5.2-acre parcel of land hosting the Pangani affordable housing project.
A report presented to the Nairobi City County Assembly by the Planning Committee in early December revealed that the title deed for the Pangani estate land is untraceable.

“Regarding the status of ownership of the title deed for the estate and in whose name it is registered, attach proof; it was reported that the title deed for the parcel of land where the Pangani estate sits remains unknown, with the county executive unable to explain the custody of the title deed,” reads the report.

In April 2023, the county assembly approved a motion allowing Teknofin Kenya Limited, the private developer behind the Pangani project, to use the title deed as collateral for a loan from Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) to complete the development.

However, the private developer has reportedly refused to share details of the project with county representatives or respond to summons from the assembly.

Another loan

Governor Johnson Sakaja’s administration had backed the resolution permitting the use of the title deed as security. However, the move was halted by the Environment and Land Court in Milimani following petitions by pressure groups.

This revelation comes amid concerns that another title deed, for Jeevanjee Estate land, was used by Jabavu Village Limited, a private developer, to secure a Sh1.9 billion loan from the National Bank.

Jabavu Village Limited has denied claims that the project is not on track, stating that progress is currently at 50 per cent, with affordable housing units expected to be completed by September 2025 and market units by September 2026.

The trend of using county assets as collateral is not new. In 2012, the defunct Nairobi City Council lost control of a 10.13-acre plot hosting Mariakani Estate to the Local Authorities Pension Trust Fund (LapFund) after failing to settle a Sh4 billion debt. The debt had accrued from years of unpaid statutory deductions from employees’ salaries.

The estate, featuring 240 three-bedroom units, is now owned by LapFund after courts dismissed attempts by former Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero to reclaim the property.

The Pangani Housing Project, launched by former President Uhuru Kenyatta on June 30, 2020, was a flagship initiative under the public-private partnership model to provide affordable housing. However, the disappearance of the title deed raises further concerns about the management and accountability of Nairobi’s housing projects.