Public market to be built on disputed South B land

South B MCA Chege Waithera addresses residents protesting against alleged grabbed market expansion. [Samson Wire, Standard]

The Ministry of Lands has now confirmed that a disputed piece of land in South B belongs to the public and a market will be put to serve area residents.

For several months, residents have been holding demonstrations after a private developer last year fenced off the parcel at South B shopping centre.

Lands Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome has now set the record straight regarding ownership of the land among other similar cases.

"One of the land is the one at South B shopping centre which had been grabbed but we are now planning to set up a market since the problem has been sorted from our end," she said.

The CS made the remarks during her visit to Nairobi South in company of area Member of County Assembly Waithera Chege and other leaders.

Wahome said the market once completed, will accommodate about 2,000 traders who have been operating on roadsides in South B adding that grabbers eye open spaces that were left by the government for future expansions.

Waithera complained that there are many cases of grabbed land in South B, and that the culprits are wealthy individuals who use shortcuts to edge out members of the public.

The MCA claimed the land where the market will be built had been grabbed by a sitting MP forcing her to present a petition in the Assembly on behalf of the residents.

"The petition was approved by the assembly, which established that the land belongs to the public," she said.