Leaders from Isiolo County have appealed to the government to compensate residents who were affected by a road construction project.
The leaders said that the road affected over 300 households along Modogashe-Mandera road, who should be compensated by the government the same way their neighbours in other counties were paid for displacement of their property following road expansion.
They added that compensation delays have been holding the project’s progress for long due to in-fights between the National Land Commission, Kenya National Highways Authority and the alleged corrupt County officials.
Led by Mr. Hussein Abduba, a former chairman of the defunct County Council of Isiolo, former Nominated MCA Hassan Shano and former Kulamawe Ward Councilor Buke Gollo, said the compensation exercise was marred by in-fighting between KeNHA and NLC that further delayed payment.
The leaders blamed the County Government officials who are carrying out illegal public participation through the back door without giving wananchi the accurate information about the compensation process because they have their own interests.
They further appealed to the World Bank and the National Government to move in and save the innocent and poor residents so that they do not miss out on the compensation payments.
Mr. Abduba said that some senior civil servants and politicians have ganged up and are out to claim compensation for non-existing modern houses in rural villages.
He said that most houses belong to the ordinary wananchi who are desperate since their houses are earmarked for demolition and are not aware if they would get compensated.
The former County council chairman said that wananchi now want NLC and KeNHA to come to the grassroots and talk to them.
He added that the project is viable to Northern Kenya since it would uplift economic activities like tourism, business and also open up the region to foreigners and local investors.
The leaders also blamed the local politicians who are involved in grabbing community land to compromise wananchi’s land for their personal gain.
They further accused the County Government of Isiolo of sidelining the community by formulating illegal land owners’ lists.
Former nominated MCA Hassan Shano said that some senior civil servants and current politicians are grabbing land with an intention to be paid more cash.
Mr. Shano said that the neighbouring Garissa Community had been compensated with good money for land and infrastructure and wondered why the government wanted to compensate for houses only in Isiolo County.
By Abduba Mamo
