Nairobi Metropolitan Services Director-General Mohamed Badi has been tasked with carrying out investigations into building approvals and land transfer processes in the Capital.
Nairobi MCAs passed the motion empowering Badi to carry out a thorough audit of approvals and acquisition of land in the capital since 2010.
Staff in the city's planning department are under the spotlight as all the approvals that have raised questions were processed via their office.
“I am deeply concerned that many residents of Nairobi have abruptly been displaced from their land and properties as a result of politicians and business elites giving bribes and engaging in corrupt activities,” Parklands MCA Jayendra Malde stated on October 13.
Some of the alleged anomalies in Parklands include Highridge clinic where a private developer was erecting a building, North Highridge School on 6th Parklands Avenue and another site whose approval for the construction of 10 storeys was dubiously extended to 12 storeys
The Ward representatives pushed for the formation of an ad hoc committee to probe the grabbing of public land in the county.
Imara Daima MCA Kennedy Obuya insisted that the motion should be developed into a bill to safeguard public land.
“This matter is weighty since both Governor Sonko and Major-General Badi had mentioned it. I support the formation of an ad-hoc committee,” Joyce Muthoni, a nominated MCA stated at the time.
Officials at the lands office are suspected to be working with cartels to steal land and contravene standard building plans.
Highrise MCA, Kennedy Oyugi alluded to the fact that powerful individuals were behind the controversial land grabbing and transfers, reason why it had taken too long for the county to act.
In June 2020, the Nairobi County Assembly prompted the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to investigate the grabbing of four parcels of public land by private developers.
This was after a report by the assembly’s Public Investments Committee (PIC) revealed that the land belonging to the Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company (NCWSC) had been grabbed by private developers colluding with unscrupulous officials of the water company.
The parcels in question belonged to the Loresho Water Reservoir, Kariobangi North sewerage and treatment works, Ruiru dam and a water booster station located off Kabete Road.
According to the records, the Loresho Water Reservoir (Nairobi block 90/587) land was subdivided into six portions, with five of them subsequently transferred and issued out to new owners irregularly.
