The National Land Commission (NLC) has announced plans to acquire a parcel of land in Tharaka Nithi County to facilitate the construction of the county's headquarters.
In a gazette notice dated October 31, NLC chairman Gershom Otachi said that the commission intends to acquire land plot number Kathwana/617, which measures approximately 0.21 hectares and is registered under an individual.
According to Otachi, the land will be annexed as part of the Tharaka Nithi County Headquarters buildings in Kathwana Municipality.
The commission has encouraged those affected to visit its offices in Nairobi to scrutinise the complete plans for the land, or at the commission's county coordinator's office in Kathwana.
"In pursuance of the Land Act, Part VIII, the National Land Commission gives notice that the County Government of Tharaka Nithi intends to acquire Plot No. Kathwana/617, which is to be annexed as part of Tharaka Nithi County Headquarters buildings in Kathwana Municipality," the notice read.
"Plans for the affected land may be inspected during office hours at the office of the National Land Commission, Adhi House, 3rd Floor, Room 305, 1st Ngong Avenue, Nairobi, and at the National Land Commission County Co-ordinator’s Office in Kathwana Town, Tharaka Nithi County," it added.
The construction of the Ksh400 million county headquarters in Kathwana stalled in 2021 due to the lack of funds, just seven years after construction began.
The county's Governor, Muthomi Njuki, said that a lack of enough funds from the national government had prevented the five-storey building from being completed.
"The National government has continued to frustrate the contractor by failing to pay money for work done, compelling the contractor to stop the work," Muthomi Njuki said.
Last year, Tharaka Nithi Senator Mwenda Gataya emphasised the urgent need to complete the county headquarters project, noting that some county workers have been working in makeshift structures.
The construction of the building is being funded jointly by the National Government (80 per cent) and the county (20 per cent).
Earlier this year, Tharaka Nithi was among five counties, including Lamu, Isiolo, Nyandarua, and Tana River, that received part of a Ksh523.1 million disbursement from the national government to facilitate the completion of county headquarters projects.
