Hundreds of Kenyans who bought land in the Konza City ranch and its environment have been dealt a blow after the respective county governments suspended transfer and building permits in the area.
The counties of Makueni, Machakos and Kajiado have jointly suspended the issuance of development permits on land near Konza Technopolis city for 90 days.
With the new directive dated April 13, landowners and developers will not be allowed to carry out any activities on the land that lies within a 10 KM radius around the techno city.
"In view of safeguarding the integrity of the physical and land use planning practices in the subject areas, it has been decided and hereby declared that all developments be suspended for a period of ninety days with effect from the date of this notice," the notice signed by the counties' respective lands CEC directed.
The suspension will apply to all proposals for subdivision and amalgamation of land, change of user as well as the extension of use that are yet to be registered under the Land Registration Act, 2012.
All building plans and proposed civil works that are yet to be commenced will also be affected by the directive.
"All development proposals that have been processed and approved as required stand suspended until completion of the formulation of the Inter-county physical and Land use development plan upon such approvals will be reviewed," the counties' administration noted.
The purpose of the inter-county physical and land use development will be to provide a mutually agreed spatial development framework for symbolic and sustainable co-existence between the Konza Technopolis city and the adjacent areas falling within the jurisdiction of the three counties.
The plan will also provide requisite basic guidelines and standards for regulation of land use practices and general development control activities for the respective planning authorities, developers, property owners, government agencies, and non-state stakeholders.
The formulation of the plan will be overseen by the inter-county joint physical and land use planning committee consisting of the respective county executive committee members responsible for physical and land use planning matters, two other relevant county executive members, coopted representatives from the relevant National Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (including the Konza Technopolis Development Authority) and the director-general of physical and land use planning.
Konza City is dubbed as "Africa's Silicon Savannah" and is intended to be an IT business hub. Located 70 kilometres from Nairobi, it is a key flagship project of Kenya’s Vision 2030 economic development blueprint.
