Internal wrangles at the National Land Commission (NLC) are costing taxpayers over Ksh2 million every day.
This is due to the stalling of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) due to hostilities from landowners who have protested delayed compensation from NLC.
People displaced by the SGR project blocked the construction by chasing contractors away.
A Chinese contractor, An Aijun, placed the resultant monthly losses at Kh64 million or Ksh2 million a day.
“To avoid further losses and delays to the project, we request your office to finalise the land compensation process as soon as possible,” wrote the contractor.
According to The Standard, the wrangles are about the control of the nearly Ksh18 billion released to NLC for compulsory acquisition of land for the project.
The supremacy battle between commission chairman Muhammad Swazuri and his deputy Abigael Mbagaya is also a liability to taxpayers.
The tussle between Swazuri and his deputy has ended up in court.
In the suit, he accuses Mbagaya of taking over his powers following criminal charges brought on him over irregular compensations in the SGR phase 1.
Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC) acting boss Phillip Mainga disclosed that the delay is staining President Uhuru Kenyatta’s project.
“The corporation is also concerned that wrangles and confusion at the commission are also contributing to the delay in releasing funds to Project Affected Persons. This is going to affect the project negatively,” stated Mainga.
