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Plot Row May Derail Sh3.5m Bobasi Jua Kali Sheds

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Published on Monday, 29 March 2010 20:50

A land ownership row may derail the construction of Sh3.5 million jua kali sheds in Bobasi constituency.

A person claiming to be the owner of the land earmarked for the construction of the stalls under the Economic Stimulus Project chased the contractor from the site at the weekend. And yesterday, area MP and Public Works minister Chris Obure held a crisis meeting to resolve the row. The meeting at Nyacheki market was attended by provincial administrators, and civic leaders but no solution was reached.

Gucha county council chairman Albert Manyange said the plot is a public land, but the person who chased the contractor yesterday showed a map indicating it belongs to him. "The land should be surrendered for public use because as far as our council is concerned, it is a public utility," he said. "This is a clear case of land grabbing," Obure said. "This land was reserved for public utilities as evident in the nearby Nyacheki sub district hospital and a cattle dip that was built here."

He added: "When we built the public hospital, nobody objected. The cattle dip was built in the 1960s on the land and even the Nyacheki market committee confirms this," said the Public Works minister. Bobasi Economic Stimulus Management Committee chairman Nick Magara said they had resolved to look for the original 1967 survey map that indicates the right owner of the property.

"The map we were shown yesterday does not indicate clearly the plot number and this raises doubts about these individuals claiming to be the owners," he said.