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A tug of war between Nyandarua and Laikipia counties over the ownership of a plot earmarked for the construction of affordable houses could derail President William Ruto’s pet project.

Nyandarua county is opposing the construction of the houses on the 7.23 acre land claiming the plot belongs to its Agricultural Mechanization Service (AMS) programme.

Laikipia county on its part is backing the project for the construction of 995 houses saying the land belongs to the government.

The standoff between the two devolved units emerged during a public participation forum held on the plot located near ACK church in Nyahururu town.

Laikipia’s chief officer for Lands, Physical Planning, Energy, Housing and Urban Development, Kenneth Kibaara and AMS Nyahururu base manager Kariuki Njung’e openly disagreed on who owns the plot where 54 families, mostly civil servants, live.

Strategic infrastructure

“This land belongs to Nyandarua county government and AMS is presently a strategic infrastructure and also needed in future,” Njung’e, who was accompanied by two ward administrators and several officers, said.

The manager said there is an active case in court where the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) is pursuing recovery of part of the land that has been grabbed by private developers.

Njung’e read a letter by Nyandarua executive for Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries opposing construction of the affordable housing project on the land.

He said AMS has been in existence since 1946 and was devolved in 2014 in accordance with the New Constitution.

But Laikipia’s Kibaara insisted that an, “irrevocable decision had been made to build the houses on the plot since it belonged to the government and was the largest available in Nyahururu town.”

The tenants living in the existing houses opposed the three months notice given to them to vacate to allow demolition. Gladys Wanjiru said the decision had been taken without involving the tenants.

Nyandarua and Laikipia have, since inception of devolution, been involved in property ownership disputes mainly focusing on Nyahururu town.

The two devolved units have wrangled over control of Nyahururu town, a soil testing project and now the AMS land.