Nairobi News

Auditor-General Edward Ouko has called for the arrest of City Hall officials for allegedly allocating public land to private developers illegally.

The land the officials are accused of apportioning to private developers include a portion of the Country Bus Station, commonly known as the Machakos Country Bus Stage.

It is part of the 8.5 acres that remained after the defunct Municipal Council of Nairobi carved out three plots from the 20.5 acres allocated to the local authority by the government on October 1, 1929.

The land was given for a term of 99 years.

The Kenya Meat Commission was allocated 2.5 acres, and St Peter Claviers and Muthurwa primary schools a total of 9.5 acres.

“A visit to the site showed that a portion of the remainder of the land — 8.5 acres — has been allocated to unknown private developers,” says the auditor-general in his report on the county for the period July 1, 2013, to June 34, 2014.

The grabbed land also includes part of the Nairobi City County store.

NOT DEVELOPED

However, a visit to the area on Monday showed that the land is yet to be developed.

Mr Ouko said during the audit, City Hall failed to produce proof of consent from the Local Government minister at the time to show that the land had changed hands.

According to the report, there were also no minutes of the Planning Committee or full council meetings, and proof of payment of annual lease fees showing that the land had been allocated.

“These irregular allocations should be revoked and officers responsible held accountable,” says the auditor-general.

Another property belonging to the Nairobi County Government that is said to have been irregularly allocated to a private developer is the Highridge Health Centre.

It was allocated by the defunct city council. All the buildings on the land have since been demolished.

The auditor asked the county to develop a more transparent way of allocating its land to individuals.

SOURCE: Daily Nation