This archive report was first published on 29 August 2019.
Businessman Francis Mburu is seeking Sh36 billion in compensation from the government for its alleged failure to protect his land in Ruaraka from illegal encroachers and for forcibly taking over his property.
According to a suit filed at the High Court on August 29, 2019, Mburu claims that the current value of his land is Sh23 billion, while a further Sh13 billion arises from loss of rental income and accrued interest.
Mburu alleges that the Nairobi County Government and the National Land Commission have been involved in a cover-up and have published untrue and misleading information about his land.
He claims that the county government has taken over his property and has allowed private developers to construct buildings on the land, despite not having compulsorily acquired the land and paid compensation to him.
“NCC saw in my properties an opportunity to receive premiums, rents and rates not withstanding that it had not compulsorily acquired the same and paid compensation to me,” Mburu said in court documents.
He has also accused the state of taking up the task of maintaining the roads in the estate and providing public lighting on the streets in a bid to further impede his land.
Mr Mburu says the private developers have been issued letters of allotment by NCC and there is a continued transfer in respect of the said allotments from persons initially granted the letters of allotment to third parties authorized by NCC.
