Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has defended his administration against accusations of not engaging residents of Lumumba, Maringo and Ofafa Jericho Estates in public participation over the urban regeneration and renewal programme.

Sakaja told the Senate Roads, Transport and Housing Committee chaired by Migori Senator Eddy Oketch, that they have always sought to engage tenants but they are barred by Residents Associations, which threaten them.

The Governor who cited the redevelopment of Woodley Estate as a model noted that 1,975 new units are replacing the original 43 units and each tenant was given Sh900,000 compensation to secure temporary housing and an allotment letter to guarantee their return once the project is complete.

“In Woodley, we are transforming 43 units into 1,975 modern units each tenant was compensated and given an allotment letter to ensure a fair and transparent process, we are going to compensate residents where necessary to facilitate the construction of modern housing units that can accommodate more people,” said Sakaja.

The push for dialogue follows concerns raised by a representative from Lumumba Estate regarding delays in completing renewal projects. Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna echoed the call for cooperation, encouraging residents to actively participate in the process.

Sifuna urged the county to engage the residents in efforts to address their grievances and ensure they are not disadvantaged in the new developments.

Oketch called on the 13 estate chairpersons who appeared before the committee to prioritise dialogue with residents, the County Government, the National Land Commission and the Senate Committees to address concerns and foster trust in order to solve the longstanding crisis.

“There is a need for residents to collaborate with the county government while some mistrust persists from past administrations like the Nairobi Metropolitan Services, the current leadership is in a better position to handle the issues that have raised concerns,” he said.

The residents’ associations of Lumumba, Maringo and Ofafa Jericho accused the City County Government of failing to conduct public participation on acquisition of the land for the construction of modern housing units under the Regeneration programme.

The residents’ associations officials claimed that the issue of ownership of the land has not been concluded and there was no reason why the City County Government would enter into a joint venture to construct the modern housing units.

 Agesa Omega representing Lumumba Residents Association said the county government published an Expression of Interest (EOI) for the off-take of the project but only reached out to the residents much later.

He said the county government published EOI in January 2021 but only called them for a meeting in July 2021 which they felt was just to rubber stamp what they had already decided to undertake leading to them rejecting the project.

“We are victims of historical land injustices, we were renting to own the houses, we need to clear the issue of the ownership of the land first before we can engage on the issue of units,” said Omega.

The residents maintained that the land issue has not been conclusive and accused the Governor of being evasive, lacking courtesy and has not created a conducive atmosphere for meaningful dialogue.

Maringo Estate Resident Association Secretary Onyango Ogutu poked holes in the Nairobi Regeneration Project charging that the project was not approved by the County Assembly in breach of the County Governments Act.

Ogutu told the committee that despite writing to the governor they have not received a response and that public participation has not been conducted as per the dictates of the Constitution.

 “The project being implemented in Maringo was not approved by the County Assembly, this to us in itself a breach of the law, public participation has also not been conducted,” said Ogutu.

 According to Woodley Residents Welfare Society chairman Sam Gachagua, the threat to forcefully evict some tenants without proper engagement is not in order and urged the Governor to convene a meeting with the residents before the eviction.

Gachagua further told the committee that the City County Government has compensated some residents Sh900,000 for relocation allowance while some have not received.

 “Public participation has not been done properly in Woodley Estate, there are some members who have been compensated while others have not, we need to have a meeting with the Governor and his officers on impending evictions,” he said.

 It also emerged that some group of people thought that they bought the houses and therefore did not pay rent which was accumulated over the years after the High Court threw out a petition on the land ownership in the Woodley Estate which declared that any Land title deed that had been issued for any person in the Estate was null and void

 “There was a gazette notice during the administration of Governor Mike Sonko that gave the residents a waiver and that the residents should start paying rents in 2019, no one has refused to pay rent,” said Gachagua.

New Pumwani Estate Resident Association Chairman Jackson Kimani told the committee that the redevelopment started in 2018 and the Housing units in the area were supposed to be retained but were taken away in 2021.

Kimani said a feasibility study that was done by a consultant that exempted California-New Pumwani Estate after a two-year public participation.

 “What was the purpose of having a two-year public participation on the regeneration project in New Pumwani, attempting to redevelop California and New Pumwani against the report is in bad faith,” he said.