This archive report was first published on 5 July 2019.
On July 5, 2019, the National Lands Commission (NLC) announced that it would be halting the compensation process for residents of Nkoroi, Kajiado County, whose houses were demolished to make way for the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR).
The decision was made after the commission received a red flag from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) regarding the overvaluation of properties.
According to Kabale Tache, the Acting Chief Executive Officer of NLC, the commission had already spent 12.6 billion shillings to compensate 20 property owners.
However, the process was halted after it was discovered that 73 properties were being overvalued, leaving the commission with no choice but to stop the compensation.
Senator Kimani Wamatangi, the Chairman of the Senate Transport Committee, faulted the commission for delaying the compensation, accusing them of not doing their due diligence to determine the value of the properties before they were destroyed.
Other committee members also expressed their dissatisfaction with the compensation process, citing unfair treatment of the residents.
One resident, Kamau Githua, shared his emotional story of how his family's rights were violated when their house was demolished by SGR contractors.
