Kenyatta family to lose land to Thika Road expansion

Muthaiga Club among some of the institutions targeted in Thika Road expansion plan

THE Kenyatta family will lose hundreds of acres of land along Thika Road in a government plan to expand the highway to 10 lanes.

Lands Commissioner Zablon Mabea has gazetted former First Lady Mama Ngina's vast land among hundreds to be acquired for the project.

The prestigious Muthaiga Golf Club, previously a frequent hound of President Kibaki and still playing host to some of his closest friends and advisers, is just one of the many institutions whose land is being targeted in the expansion project. Others targeted include schools, hospitals, universities, hotels and even the Kahawa Barracks.

Schools which will lose some of their land include Parklands Secondary, Muthaiga Primary, Kenya School of Professional Studies, Kenyatta University and the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology. The Ramgharia Sikh Union which runs the Guru Nanak Hospital, Utalii Hotel, Fig Tree Hotel and the East African Breweries will also see some of their land hived

Thousands of people will be displaced if the planned expansion goes ahead. Property development in the area targeted has mushroomed over the last few years and values have continued to grow.

Mabea made the announcement in the latest issue of the gazette, and quotes section 6 (2) of the Land Acquisition Act. Plans of the affected lands may be inspected at the ministry of Lands.

The commissioner announced a timetable for hearing of claims to compensate the land owners. These will be held between September 16 and October 7 this year in district offices at Kasarani, Kariokor and Ruiru. Majority of those whose land will be taken for the road's expansion will present their claims at the Ruiru district office.

"Every person who is interested in the affected land is required to deliver to me not later than the day of inquiry, a written claim to compensation/' the Lands Commissioners said in the gazette of July 8.

Many of the land owners listed however said they were not aware of the gazette notice. Guru Nanak hospital chief executive officer Ravi Kaul said the hospital has not received any communication from the government regarding the matter. "I have no idea of the matter but if our hospital is listed then we have to wait and see which areas will be affected. We don't mind doing something good for the public if only it will affect outside the hospital and parking area but not the entire hospital," added Kaul.

Also affected are members of land buying companies who are yet to subdivide the land. Witethie Investment Company is one such group whose 12 parcels have been targeted.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance Joseph Kinyua says the project aims to end traffic jams on the road. "The purpose is to expand the road all the way to Thika town because that is where it captures the population coming to Nairobi," he said.

A confidential memo from the bank's Secretary General Modibo Toure dated 13 July 2007 and sent to the board of directors said the expanded highway would reduce "on-the-spot" aerial emissions especially by stationary vehicles caught in the jams, especially during the rush hour; reduce road accidents, particularly involving heavy trucks, as well as reduce congestion along the entire project route saving commuters time, increasing productivity encouraging-more people to live in the peri-urban areas.

The rehabilitation of the Nairobi-Thika highway will reduce the traffic jams between Globe Cinema Roundabout in Nairobi and Thika.

Regular motorists on this road spend an average of two to three hours to get to the city and it is even longer during peak hours.

The road is one of the major highways linking parts of the agriculture-rich highlands with Nairobi. It also links the larger northern frontier region, which supplies the bulk of livestock products consumer need in the capital.

The road is also part of the Nairobi-Isiolo-Moyale road, which connects Kenya with Ethiopia.

The government has already received Shl0.5 billion for the project from the Africa Development Bank (ADB). "Save for delay issues associated with big projects, we are pushing to have the construction to start in December," Mr Kinyua said.