Former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko on Thursday dismissed allegations of owning land title deeds meant for Affordable Housing projects within Nairobi City.
Speaking at his Upper Hill office in Nairobi, the former county chief accused a section of Nairobi County Government officials of misleading Governor Johnson Sakaja regarding the ownership of titles for government land in Ngara and Jeevanjee.
Sonko while clarifying the matter noted that the Affordable Housing projects in Nairobi were brainstormed and planned during the tenure of Evans Kidero, the first governor of Nairobi. According to Sonko, It was during Kidero's tenure that the government reached a Public-Private partnership with a local investor for the development of Affordable Houses within the city.
However, Sonko claimed that no meaningful progress took place in the construction of Affordable Houses despite the agreement, forcing his administration to fast-track the project.
The former governor went ahead to note that the title deeds for the said pieces of land were approved by the Ministry of Lands and that no title deed was withheld by the County Government during his regime.
Sonko criticised some of the members of Sakaja’s cabinet for attempting to tarnish his reputation by falsely linking him to land ownership in the two areas. While clarifying the allegations, Sonko called on Governor Sakaja to investigate the matter.
“I urge Governor Sakaja to be cautious. Some of his CECs, who worked under me, know the truth about these projects but are not telling him,” Sonko said.
"It is my humble submission that there is a grand plan by senior staff, politicians and cartels who want to be allocated houses without following the due process. I believe these are diversionary tactics," Sonko added.
The former governor reiterated that the current Nairobi County Government should be held responsible for delays witnessed in completing the Ngara and Jeevanjee housing projects.
Sonko's clarification comes hardly two days after the Nairobi County Planning Committee highlighted missing title deeds for several parcels of land earmarked for Affordable Housing projects.
During the meeting, the Urban County Planning Committee member alleged that the former governor Mike Sonko owned some of the title deeds meant for the government's housing projects.
"The title deeds for Jevanjee estates were registered in the name of Nairobi County in August 2018. Later that year, the title deeds were taken by the former governor Mike Sonko who never returned them," noted one of the committee members.
