Maringo Residents Protest Sakaja’s Urban Renewal Plan
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Residents of Maringo estate have taken their grievances to the Nairobi County Assembly, alleging that the Governor Johnson Sakaja’s administration is pushing forward with an urban renewal project in an “opaque manner,” disregarding proper procedures and potentially infringing on their land ownership rights.
Nominated MCA Lily Kidenda chairing the meeting with the clerk of the planning and housing
Shauri Kihara, Chairman of the Maringo Residents International Organization, and Onyango Ogutu, the organization’s secretary, addressed the assembly’s Lands, Planning, and Housing Committee, expressing deep concerns about the county’s approach.
“The Nairobi County government officials are not taking this process in the right direction. In fact, we are trying to circumvent the law and even the procedure itself, the way it’s supposed to be,” Shauri stated.
Ogutu detailed that the county government had proposed an urban renewal project in February 2021, but subsequent meetings lacked proper documentation and instead involved the imposition of pre-determined decisions.
He further accused the county of enticing individual residents with promises of two-bedroom houses and Ksh. 500,000 relocation allowances, without any formal agreements.
A key point of contention is the ownership of the Maringo estate houses. The residents claim that the houses were built by the Central Housing Board (now the National Housing Corporation) in 1957, with loans intended to be paid off within 25 to 40 years, depending on the phase.
They presented a 1960 gazette notice to support their claim, arguing that the county government continues to collect rent without providing proof of ownership.
“We have what shows that the houses do not belong to the county,” Njoroge asserted, emphasizing the need for a “constructive engagement” with the county government to clarify the historical agreements and determine a fair way forward.
The residents also pointed out a contradiction between Governor Johnson Sakaja’s public statements and the current actions of county officials.
“If you can recall on 27th of February 2024, the governor appeared before the Senate and promised that there will be no relocation. But we are surprised now, people are being told to relocate,” Ogutu said.
They also noted that the governor himself had acknowledged the county lacked title deeds for the land.
Maringo tenants residents association from left secretary Onyango Ogutu ,secretary general Benson Maina and the chairman Shauri Njoroge meeting with the planning and housing committee during a consultative meeting with the County Assembly Planning and Housing Committee on the upcoming eviction to pave way for development of affordable houses
The residents are demanding that the county assembly intervene and halt the project until a transparent and mutually agreeable process is established. They also criticized the county’s recent move to invite residents to submit documentation to City Hall without proper consultation.
Area MCA, Patrick Macharia, echoed the residents’ concerns, highlighting the importance of engaging residents’ associations in all land and housing matters. He cited the troubled Jeevanjee project as a cautionary tale, where residents were left in limbo after being evacuated.
“We have done a resolution. We are going to get the executive and the residents association where we may come together and talk and get a way forward,” Macharia said, signaling a commitment by the county assembly to mediate the dispute.
The Planning and Housing Committee has pledged to facilitate a meeting between the county executive and the residents’ association to resolve the contentious issues and ensure a more transparent and inclusive urban renewal process.
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