County administrator calls for calm over road compensation row

Nyeri,

Thursday, January 11, 2024

KNA by Wangari Mwangi and Samuel Maina

Nyeri County Commissioner Pius Murugu has appealed to Project Affected Persons(PAPs) in the construction of the Sagana-Marua highway to suspend frequent demonstrations over compensation claims.

Speaking in Mathira Thursday, Murugu said that county administration and the National Land Commission (NLC) which is the paying agent for the Kenya National Highway Authority are in the process of finding an amicable solution for the impasse.

Murugu said that efforts are being put in place to speed up the payout for residents of Kirimukuyu in the Mathira West sub-county who are yet to be compensated for ceding part of their land to pave the way for the construction of the 36-kilometer stretch of the highway. 

"We have been holding consultative meetings with the NLC regarding the issue of your compensation. We are aware that some residents who are affected have been paid and there are a few who are yet to receive any compensation and we are appealing for you to remain calm and give dialogue a chance," said Murugu.

Dualling of the entire 84-kilometer Kenol-Sagana-Marua Road expansion project commenced in July 2020 and was expected to be complete by October 2023 but contractors had to seek an extension due to challenges in paying out compensation claims to PAP.

For the Sagana-Matua stretch, the contractor cited challenges in accessing a total of 13-kilometer sections of road in Kangocho, Karatina, and Marua interchanges due to the delayed land acquisition process which falls under the NLC.

Engineer Sayed Antiqulla, an official of China Wu Yi Company that is undertaking the dualling of the Sagana-Marua Road had told the County Implementation Coordination and Management Committee (NGD-CICMC) sitting in Nyeri that only 327 PAPs in Nyeri out of the 1351 who had been listed by NLC had received compensation.

“Claims of delayed compensation by the Projected Affected Persons (PAPs) within Kirimukuyu division (Km 74+00-Km 83+800) have issued a notice informing on the planned peaceful procession as well as stoppage of construction works,” states the Project report.

The Sh 6 billion project is financed jointly by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Government of Kenya. The project is part of the Great North Road/Trans Highway from Cape Town in South Africa and starts from Kenol Township in Murang’a through Makutano and Sagana in Kirinyaga County before ending at Marua in Nyeri County.

The entire 84-kilometer Kenol-Sagana-Marua Road expansion project was earmarked to cost a total of Sh 40 billion and is set to connect the Northern Corridor from Nairobi to the Lapsset Corridor that is expected to link Kenya to Ethiopia.

Courtesy; KNA