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A House committee yesterday accused the National Land Commission (NLC) of holding billions of shillings meant for compensation of persons affected by the compulsory acquisition of land by the government to allow construction of roads and other projects.

Senate’s Roads, Transportation and Housing Committee claimed that NLC is subjecting Kenyans to pain as some of them are languishing in poverty after it emerged that the commission is holding on to more than Sh 70 billion meant for compensations.

The senators who were breathing fire for the continued delays in release of the money, told NLC officials led by the chairperson Gershom Otachi to appear before the committee chaired by Kiambu senator Karungo Thang’wa tomorrow (Thursday) without fail.

Not available

This is after Otachi and team wrote to the committee yesterday morning, informing them that they were not available as they had scheduled an event with Head of Public Service Felix Koskei.

Said Thang’wa: “What we need to do as a committee is to crack the whip. We do not want to be seen to be losing hope. I’m summoning the chairman of NLC to appear before this committee on Thursday.”

He added: “Owing to the fact that this is an important meeting because the government took people’s land and did not compensate them. We need to crack the whip on this.”

Among the projects that the commission is yet to fully compensate for include the Sh21 billion Kibwezi-Kitui-Motomo Road that commenced in 2017. The commission is supposed to compensate affected persons at a cost of Sh1.6 billion

The Sh18.7 billion James Gichuri Rironi road started in 2017 has an outstanding balance of Sh2.98 billion yet to be paid to affected persons. The total amount of compensation requested is Sh10.5 billion.

The Sh17 billion Western By -pass road where affected persons are yet to be compensated Sh1.9 billion and the Sh120 billion Mombasa Gate Bridge project which is yet to commence as Sh65billion meant for compensation of the affected persons was yet to be availed.

Withholding monies

And speaking, Thang’wa and Kitui Senator Enoch Wambua said it is disappointing for the commission to withhold such monies meant for poor Kenyans.

In particular Thang’wa regretted that his committee has been informed by the Kenya National Highways Authority (KENHA) which implemented the project, that they had released Sh 281 million two years ago for compensation of the Kibwezi-Kitui-Motomo Road but NLC has only released Sh 180 million leaving behind a balance of Sh 100 million.

He said: “Why are they not paying the locals? Since the 2020-21 financial year, this money is still with NLC.”

In the Western By-pass road, Thang’wa said that out of the Sh1.9 billion land owners in Kiambu are supposed to receive for their land, only about Sh600 million has been released by the Commission while in respect to the James Gichuru-Rironi Road Sh2.9 billion is still yet to be paid.

Senator Wambua termed NLC’s action as frustrating to the locals and demanded answers on the whereabouts of the money.
“It is a very frustrating thing. This Sh100 million has been held by NLC for more than two years going into three years. In which account does this money exist. Who is benefiting from this interest? And if people are supposed to be compensated at market rate, the rates then and lower than today, will they consider that?”

He added: “We are beginning to wonder whether there is no way out of this. On This project of Kibwezi Motomo Migwani road the affected persons were supposed to be compensated Sh 1.6 billion. KENHA told us that they gave NLC Sh280 million. NLC has only paid Sh180 million and is holding the remaining Sh100 million.