Nairobi City County Governor, Johnson Sakaja failed to honour summons of Senate Committee on Roads, Transportation and Housing for a record six times.
The Senate Committee invited the Nairobi City Governor for the first time on 30th November, 2022. One year down the line, the Governor has never showed up at the committee meetings despite being invited and later summoned.
βI hereby order Nairobi Governor to personally pay Ksh. 500,000/- from his pocket and not to charge the fine to Nairobi County coffers. The governor should cut short his foreign trip and appear in person before this committee on Thursday, 30th November, 2023 at 11 am without fail. Governor Sakaja should furnish the committee with his boarding pass, passport and visa to prove that he was out of the country.β ordered the committee chairperson, Kiambu Senator Karungo Thangwa.
At its meeting held on Tuesday, 6th June, 2023, the Standing Committee on Roads, Transportation and Housing was informed that the County Government of Nairobi was implementing a programme on urban regeneration and renewal of the old estates in Nairobi.
The Committee was further informed that chairpersons of residentsβ associations had requested a meeting with Committee so as to apprise the Committee on the concerns of the residents of the targeted estates in respect of the ongoing programme urban regeneration and renewal.
βWe had a similar case in Buxton Housing Project where the developer was to take 70% and land owners who were the residents the estate to be settled on 30% of the project, although developers donβt keep their side of the bargain.β said Marsabit Sen. Mohammed Chute.
The Committee acceded to the request to meet with the chairpersons of residentsβ associations on 13th June, 2023. During the meeting, the Committee was in informed that Ofafa Jericho, Jericho Lumumba, California and Ofafa Maringo estates were among the 13 estates in Eastlands area earmarked for re-development by the County Government of Nairobi.
Ofafa Jericho, Jericho Lumumba and Ofafa Maringo estates were project that had been undertaken by the Israeli government in agreement with the Kenyan Government.
The residents of New Pumwani -California estate had written a petition to the County Government of Nairobi requesting that the ownership of the houses to be converted from a Social Housing Units to Tenant Purchase Scheme for payment of mortgage for the houses but the petition had not been responded to.
The Senate Committee on Roads, Transportation and Housing had requested for a response from the Governor, Nairobi County on the following issue; a copy of the agreement between the Israeli Government and the Government of Kenya for construction of the estates through a Tenant Purchase Scheme, a copy of Volume 1, 2 and 3 of the report on Urban Renewal Plan for Eastlands, Nairobi; and a copy of development control guidelines for Eastlands.
The committee had also asked Governor Sakaja to clarify on the status of response of the County Government to a Petition by residents of New Pumwani/California estate for conversion of social housing units to a Tenant Purchase Scheme, the status of the current ownership of the houses in the estates, a copy of title deeds for the parcels of land on which the estates are built and the original plans for the development of the estates.
Moreover, the Governor was to explain the circumstances under which a contractor was given approval for redevelopment of New Pumwani/California estate and then demolished Flat C-5 on 27th May, 2023 at 2:00 am and provide a statement of rent collected by the County Government of Nairobi since 1985 for Ofafa Jericho estate, 1988 for Jericho Lumumba estate and 1990 for Ofafa Maringo estate.
Laikipia Senator John Kinyua expressed disappointment that despite of Governor Sakaja having being invited six times to provide explanation to issues affecting the regeneration of Nairobi City estates, he chose not honour the invitations and summons, therefore being in contempt of the Senate.
βWe are guided by the Senate Standing Orders and Parliamentary Powers & Privileges Act, therefore when the Nairobi Governor ignores the invites and summons of the committee, he contravenes the law.β posited Samburu Senator Dr. Lelegwe Ltumbesi.
Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna implored the committee to suspend all the regeneration projects in Nairobi estates until the Nairobi City County Governor appears before the committee in person, he added that if the Governor fails to appear on Thursday this week, then the committee should order the Inspector General to arrest and produce the Governor to the committee.