Blame game, mischief and mistrust have rocked the Nairobi County Government Regeneration development project, with residents’ associations claiming a lack of adequate engagement.

This even as the residents of Nairobi are embroiled in a tussle with Nairobi County Government over the ownership of a piece of land for Lumumba, Maringo and Ofafa Jericho Estates, which is part of the regeneration development project.

This is after the residents’ associations of Lumumba, Maringo and Ofafa Jericho accused the Nairobi City County Government of failing to conduct public participation on the acquisition of the land for the construction of modern housing units under the Nairobi Regeneration programme.

Appearing before the Senate Roads, Transport and Housing committee yesterday, the residents’ association officials claimed that the issue of ownership of the land has not been concluded and there was no reason as to why the City County Government would enter into a joint venture to construct the modern housing units.

Offtake of project

According to Agesa Omega, representing Lumumba Residents Association, the Governor Johnson Sakaja led County government published an Expression of Interest (EOI) for the offtake of the project but only reached out to the residents much later.

“The County Government published EOI in January 2021 but only called us for a meeting in July 2021. We feel that this meeting was just to rubber stamp what they had already decided to undertake. We did not accept the regeneration project,” said Omega.

He went on: “We are victims of historical land injustices. We were renting to own the houses. We need to clear the issue of the ownership of the land first before we can engage on the issue if units.”

The residents maintain that the land issue has not been conclusive and accused Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja of being evasive, lacking courtesy and not creating a conducive atmosphere for meaningful dialogue. Maringo Estate Resident Association Secretary, Onyango Ogutu, poked holes in the Nairobi Regeneration Project, charging that the project was not approved by the County Assembly in breach of the County Governments Act.

Public participation

Ogutu told the committee that despite writing to the Governor, they have not received a response and that public participation has not been conducted as per the dictates of the Constitution.

“The project being implemented in Maringo was not approved by the County Assembly. This to us in itself is a breach of the law. Public participation has also not been conducted. We have also written to the governor and he has not had the courtesy to respond to us,” said Ogutu.

It also emerged that only some residents of Woodley Estate have received Allotment letters from the County Government.

According to Woodley Residents Welfare Society chairman Sam Gachagua, the threat to forcefully evict some tenants without proper engagement is not in order and urged the Governor to convene a meeting with the residents before the eviction.

Gachagua further told the committee that the City County Government has compensated some residents Sh900,000 for relocation allowance, while some have not received it.

“Public participation has not been done properly in Woodley Estate. Some members have been compensated while others have not. We need to have a meeting with the Governor and his officers on the impending evictions,” said Gachagua.

It also emerged that some groups of people thought that they bought the houses and therefore did not pay rent, which was accumulated over the years.

This is after the High Court threw out a petition on the land ownership in the Woodley Estate, which declared that any Land title deed that had been issued for any person in the Estate was null and void.

“There was a gazette notice during the administration of Governor Mike Sonko that gave the residents a waiver and that the residents should start paying rents in 2019. No one has refused to pay rent,” charged Gachagua.

New Pumwani Estate Resident Association Chairman Jackson Muturi Kimani charged that the redevelopment started in 2018, adding that the Housing units in the area were supposed to be retained but were taken away in 2021.

Kimani explained that a feasibility study done by a consultant exempted California-New Pumwani Estate after a two-year public participation period.

“What was the purpose of having a two-year public participation in the New Pumwani regeneration project? Attempting to redevelop California and New Pumwani against the report is in bad faith. We are not comfortable with this program,” said Kimani.

However, Governor Sakaja dismissed the claims by the leadership of the Associations, does not want the people to meet with the County leadership.

“What we are doing is an offer. You should partner with us. The goodwill being given by the County Government must be responded to in equal measure. We have invited them for the meeting,” said Sakaja.

He said, “When you are a tenant, the landlord can do anything on that property as long as it is being done procedurally and within the law. I want to disabuse the notion that there was no public participation.”

According to Sakaja, the residents were being threatened from engaging with the County Government, adding that the County Government is the landlord, especially on the Houses that belong to the county administration.