Disputed Kiambu land belongs to KU, says Swazuri

National land Commission Chairman Mohamed Swazuri during an interview with The Standard Team at his Nairobi office. Photo by WILLIS AWANDU/STANDARD

Thousands of residents could be evicted after the National Land Commission (NLC) ruled that the land that they occupy belongs to Kenyatta University (KU).

NLC Chairman Muhammad Swazuri said that after intensive investigation, the commission has concluded that the land in Kamae, Kahawa West in Kiambu County belongs to KU and that the 10,000 people occupying the land were not its rightful owners.

But the row over the 130 acres is far from over after leaders and the squatters vowed they would not move out of the land. The dispute over the land has lasted for two decades.

"All the records we have seen show the land belongs to the university. We did not receive a counter title or a court verdict saying the disputed land did not belong to KU," said Dr Swazuri.

He revealed that they have agreed that the Government should look for 25 acres elsewhere in order to resettle some of the squatters to pave way for the completion of a Sh3 billion hospital whose construction has been delayed by the stalemate.

Swazuri, who was the chief guest at KU's Ruiru campus during the official launch of the university's School of Architecture and Built Environment, said politicians were the biggest hindrance to finding an amicable resolution to the dispute as they kept on inciting squatters not to move out.

Kahawa West Member of County Assembly Ngaruiya Chege accused Swazuri of favouring the university even after the President ordered all parties to come up with a lasting solution last year.