Waititu’s gift to Thika residents ruined by court threat
A heartening gesture by aspiring Kiambu governor Ferdinand Waititu to clear a ‘road reserve’ to ease traffic in Thika Town has now been met by a threat of court action.
Thika businessman Mr Duncan Macharia, who claims to own the land near Blue Post Hotel, has threatened to sue Ferdinand Waititu, Thika MP Alice Ng’ang’a and real estate mogul Bishop David Kariuki Ngari alias Gakuyo.
He accuses the three politicians of trespassing on his Sh120 million piece of land, authorising the creation of a road, stealing timber and excavating stones without his consent.
‘TEMPORARY SOLUTION’
Last Tuesday, Mr Waititu had overseen the paving of an earth road in the land which he said will offer a “temporary solution to Thika town’s traffic menace by creating a diversion road near Chania bridge that would provide an alternative exit route for outbound traffic.”
Mr Waititu’s move was highly praised on social media.
“We shall create a road without touching on the bridge to ease traffic in this town immediately. Ours is to offer solutions as fast as we can to our people and the works are going to begin tomorrow (Tuesday),” Mr Waititu on Monday.
Ms Ng’ang’a said she was grateful that at last she had found a listening “incoming county administration” that she would work with to better the constituency.
“We shall not waste time on this, we need an immediate short term solution before embarking on a permanent solution later, and that shall be through cutting through this piece of land to create a diversion for cars exiting the town,” she said.
LAND IS PRIVATELY OWNED
A county government official, who spoke to Nairobi News on condition of anonymity, said that the county government had an earlier motive of constructing a road at the same diversion, but could not proceed because the land is privately owned.
“Developing a road is cheaper compared to building a bridge. The county was looking into meeting with the two owners with a view of talking them into accepting some compensation to allow construction of a road cutting through their land, however that was yet to happen,” said the source.
The road diversion has now divided Mr Duncan Macharia’s half acre piece of land into two making him unable to access the land and proceed with his earlier plans of developing it.
“I had recently cleared the bushes to commence some development activities but the invasion happened; I was not consulted, these politicians just raided my land and made a road in it,” said Mr Macharia before adding that the issue has now put his life in danger.
“This is creating a rift between me and the public which may not know that the land is privately owned. The people want a solution to the traffic menace but at whose expense? Some were even threatening me on Tuesday telling me not to interfere with the road works,” Mr Macharia told Nairobi News.
