Public Outcry After Tycoon Allegedly Grabs Nairobi Police Station Land
Residents of Mihang’o in Embakasi East Constituency have taken to the streets, protesting against the alleged grabbing of public land meant for vital security infrastructure.
The disputed parcel of land had been designated for the construction of a police station, a chief’s camp, and a court.
The peaceful protest on Sunday drew attention to claims that a prominent Nairobi tycoon is behind the attempted takeover of the land. Residents alleged that the tycoon had been sending agents under the cover of darkness to place beacons, raising suspicions about his intentions.
“This place is allocated to house the chief’s camp and our police,” one resident said. “But there is a developer from nowhere who we even do not know has shown intent to grab our land.”
The protesters marched to the disputed site, demanding immediate intervention by the National Lands Commission (NLC). They called on the commission, which oversees public land management, to take urgent steps to prevent the tycoon from proceeding with the encroachment.
“It is purely up to us to organise ourselves. We are going as a community to protect that land and any other public land that is within the Mihang’o location,” vowed another protester.
The residents stressed that the lack of security infrastructure would heighten insecurity in the area if the land was lost. “We will not allow the land that we have set aside as residents of Mihang’o for anyone to come and grab our land,” declared another participant.
This incident comes amid increasing cases of public land disputes in Kenya. Public land, governed under the Land Act (2012) and the Constitution of Kenya (2010), is meant to serve community interests.
The protests in Mihang’o are the latest example of growing discontent over land grabbing in Nairobi. Just five months ago, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) began investigating the fraudulent acquisition of a 5.12-acre Karen property owned by the Nairobi City County government.
Developers involved in that case were reportedly seeking compensation of Ksh1.28 billion from City Hall.
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Public Outcry After Tycoon Allegedly Grabs Nairobi Police Station Land
