Construction workers at a highly-contested piece of land in Nairobi's Parklands area fled after the Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) Director-General Mohamed Badi made an impromptu visit to the site donning his full military regalia.
Accompanied by Westlands MP Timothy Wanyonyi, Parklands MCA Jayedra Malde and police officers, General Badi announced that his office had reclaimed the piece of land from a private developer.
The matter had been brought to his attention by the area MCA who sent him a letter dated April 27, 2020.
"It has come to my knowledge that the property has been occupied and controlled by a third party for personal use and gain. There is an ongoing construction of residential apartments on government land," the letter seen by Kenyans.co.ke reads in part.
MCA Malde also revealed that he had written several letters to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) over the matter with little success.
He further claimed that the developer had already started putting up high-rise apartments in the parcel of land located along 3rd Parklands Avenue.
The MCA had gone as far as vowing to resign, citing frustrations at trying to stop the looting of public land," I have fought for the Highridge Clinic every single day and yet construction is going on,” he posted on his official Facebook.
His efforts finally came to fruition as General Badi announced that the construction of a public hospital would begin at the site on a date that was yet to be confirmed.
"This is now your place," he told residents who had gathered at the entrance of the site.
According to documents shared by the Ward Representative, the parcel of land is estimated to be worth well over Ksh2 billion.
"After all these fights, we have our Highridge Clinic back," the ecstatic MCA stated after General Badi's successful intervention.
