Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has promised that residents of disputed Njiru land will not have their homes demolished.
Sakaja has alleviated concerns by stating that talks with the Kirima family, the legitimate property owners, are ongoing to prevent the demolition of homes.
"It's just that the government can't afford to buy the land." However, the Kirima family is willing to negotiate with the families for them to pay gradually," Sakaja stated in an interview with Radio Citizen.
The governor emphasized a collaborative effort between the county and the national government to prevent demolitions following court-ordered evictions from the late Gerishon Kirima's 1000-acre land.
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"We will agree as to who pays for the land, is it us, or the families? But demolition is not an option. I do not want people to go for Christmas worried that their property will be destroyed," he said.
" I know the order said on December 31 We will not allow that. There has to be a better way," Sakaja declared, aligning his sentiments with his signature slogan, 'lazima iwork.'
Sakaja also cautioned against politicizing the issue, stressing that it was legal.
"Those politicizing the land row are making it worse. This is a legal issue, and politics have no hand in the matter," he asserted.
Thousands of residents in Nairobi's Njiru, Chokaa, and Mihang'o areas have been affected by a judgment by the Environment and Land Court ordering them to vacate nearly 1,000 acres of land owned by the late politician who died in December 2010.
According to a judgment issued by Justice S. Okong'o, those occupying the land have until December 31, 2023, to vacate or be evicted by Kirima Estate administrators.
The decision resulted from a lengthy legal battle between the administrators and residents who acquired the property through self-help groups.
