Nairobi County has given notice to illegal encroachers on land
meant for the city's light rail project to vacate or face the law.
Speaking
during a tour of the ongoing construction of commuter railway stations
in Nairobi today, Deputy Governor Polycarp Igathe said his government
had issued a pre-notice to illegal encroachers living along the railway
line to allow for completion of the project.
“We are
warning people encroaching on railways land to move out because we are
going to use any lawful means to get you out. We are giving you a pre
notice to do so, failure to which we will use all available laws to
effect the notice,” Mr Igathe said.
Political issue
He
also accused Members of County Assembly (MCAs) allied to the opposition
National Super Alliance (Nasa) of being behind the move that has seen a
section of Nairobi residents brought to encroach on the land.
“MCAs
from the Opposition are bringing people to encroach the railway station
to stop development projects. We shall not entertain political
interference in the mission of decongesting the city,” he said.
“You
cannot expect to just come and construct along the railway line and
expect it to continue. That must stop. I am specifically speaking about
Donholm where there is political instigation for people to encroach the
site.”
Mr Igathe said he is optimistic that traffic snarl ups
experienced by Nairobi residents on a daily basis will be a thing of the
past once the project is complete.
“Within a year we
can start traveling with some semblance of dignity...We want to urge
people living in Kitengela, Syokimau, and Mlolongo to start using the
railway,” he said.
“We will mobilise very strongly to
ensure you leave these sites. This train is not only going to serve one
community. Our political culture must change,” added Mr Igathe.
Nairobi estates
The
Sh14 billion project funded by the World Bank will involve construction
of nine railway corridors whose trains will pick commuters from several
estates in Nairobi and drop them at the Railway Station in the city
centre.
The nine commuter corridors include
Ruiru-Thika, Juja Road-Kangundo, Jomo Kenyatta International
Airport-Athi River, Lang’ata Road-Karen and Upper Hill-Ngong,
Kabete-Kikuyu, Gigiri-Limuru and Outer Ring Road in the city’s Eastlands
area.
No private cars
Mr
Igathe added that City Hall will seek to partner with the national
government and Kenya Railways to pool resources to create park and ride
stations for use by motorists in line with a vision to do away with
private cars in the CBD in the next five years.
“In
five years, private cars will not be allowed in the city centre because
they are the biggest creators of congestion. We will create park and
ride stations where matatus will be expected to pick and drop people,
using private cars or otherwise, from,”
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