Rahim Kurji at the site where his family’s house was in Westlands, Nairobi on December 4, 2016. The building had been destroyed in unclear circumstances earlier on the same day. PHOTO | EVANS HABIL | NATION MEDIA GROUP

Police arrest businessman behind demolition of houses in Parklands

Police in Nairobi have arrested a businessman who mercilessly evicted a family from their houses in Parklands.

Mr Francis Nyaga Njeru of Frank Logistics is being detained at Muthaiga police station and may be charged in court on Wednesday.

The National Lands Commission (NLC) and the police had launched investigations to establish the ownership of the disputed piece of land.

The NLC on Tuesday said that they had received complaints from various interested parties regarding the land — Land Reference Number 1870/1/337 and 1870/1/338 — located along Jalaram road in Parklands.

The NLC intends to review the grants and will on Friday morning hold public hearings for the property.

All the parties are required to produce at least six document to support ownership including letter of allotment, receipt of payment, deed plans, leases and title deeds.

“All interested parties will be required to submit original plot allocation documents during the hearings for verification,” the NLC chairman Muhammad Swazuri said.

Mr Njeru had told the investigators that he applied for lease in 2008 in a letter dated December 18, 2008 to the Commissioner of Lands.

When he applied for development, he was told that since it was a new grant, the houses within the plots were rendered illegal.

On November 10, the Nairobi City County issued an Enforcement Notice to stop any further illegal development forthwith and also remove any illegal structures.

Mr Njeru claims that he was issued with an allotment letter signed by Mr Onyino Mukobe dated July 6, 2016 and a Mr F N Orare, a registrar

On October 28 this year, he further paid a total of Sh106, 270 each for the two plots, 337 and 338. He also said that the family was not staying in the house and he had hired some people to guard the property for several months.

The other party had also hired some people who were staying in the compound and as a result on November 24 he made a report at the Nairobi County Directorate of Criminal Investigations (OB4/24/11/2016) claiming that two men were illegally staying in his plot.

Source:http://www.nation.co.ke/