Sh2 trillion Lamu port project set to start after State, landowners reach agreement

The National Land Commission (NLC) has said the impasse that had stalled the building of the Lamu port has been resolved, paving way for the commissioning of the project.

NLC Chairman Muhammad Swazuri Monday said that the over 148 landowners on the project site, who had moved to court to stop the construction, will be compensated before Friday.

He said the Government will disburse in excess of Sh356 million to all beneficiaries after an earlier agreement on the cost per an acre of land after which the residents are expected to move to court to withdraw the case.

Dr Swazuri said the Head of State will now visit the area early next month to commission the building of the first three berths.

President Uhuru Kenyatta was scheduled to commission the project today but the High Court in Malindi suspended the construction for 14 days, pending the inter-party hearing of a petition filed by landowners.

Urgent need

Justice Oscar Angote in his ruling said there was urgent need to listen to the petitioners’ complaints.

“An order of injunction ... is hereby issued for 14 days against the third and fourth respondents by themselves, employees, agents, assigns or any other person acting on their behalf from commencing or continuing with the dredging, constructing, working on the land, doing Lamu port-related work or in any other manner interfering with the petitioners’ occupation of their respective parcels of land, pending hearing of the petition inter-parties,” he said in the ruling.

But Monday Swazuri said  the Government and landowners had reached an agreement, a move expected to pave way for the construction of the first three berths of the Sh2 trillion Lamu port.

He said those who had moved to court are part of the group to be paid in the first phase of the compensation that will benefit 249 people.

Swazuri said they have a list of 249 people who claimed to own land where the intended port is being constructed.

“As we speak we have agreed with all of them and they will even withdraw the case they had filed in court,” he said.

He said the first phase of 148 people are the ones who had filed the case and they are in the process of verifying the remaining 101 to see if they have any legal claim.

The lawyer representing the petitioners, George Wakahiu, confirmed that the Government had prepared a new list of those to be compensated.