Some 50 project-affected persons (PAPs) from Karatina town, who ceded their land to pave way for the construction of the Sagana-Marua highway, can now heave a sigh of relief after the Government promised to release Sh400 million as compensation.
In an interview with KNA today Monday, Mathira Member of Parliament, Eric Wamumbi confirmed he held talks with President Dr William Ruto in December last year, where the president pledged to avail the funds to allow the construction of the Karatina-Mathaithi stretch to proceed.
Mr Wamumbi noted that the Sh400 million is part of the Sh1.2 billion required to fully settle claims for PAPs, majority of who are businesspersons, residing around in Karatina town.
“Our discussions with the President majored on Karatina town because the stretch is huge with few PAPs but a heavy budget of Sh1.2 billion. The section is a Government of Kenya component and we could not afford the entire amount, so that is why the President assured us of the first tranche of Sh400 million,” Wamumbi told KNA in a phone interview.
The legislator said that the money will be factored in during the drafting of supplementary budget estimates which are set to be tabled before the National Assembly in two weeks’ time.
Mr Wamumbi noted that should everything go as planned, the 50 PAPs will have received their compensation by June this year paving way for the completion of the 7.5 kilometer stretch which has stalled for two years.
“We are hoping to secure that money so that by the end of the Financial Year the PAPs will have been compensated so that work can start,” said the MP.
At the beginning of the construction, a total of Sh4.8 billion had been set aside as compensation money for a total of 2,350 PAPs with 1,014 being residents of Kirinyaga County while 1,350 were from Nyeri.
In September 2024, a report by Kenya National Highways Authority (KENHA) showed only 453 (34 per cent) of PAPs from Nyeri had been compensated leaving 897 pending claims.
Kirinyaga was in the lead with at least 92 per cent (932 families) having already received their claims.
While presenting the Kenha Report during a Nyeri County Implementation Coordination and Management Committee (NGD-CICMC) meeting in October, Central Region KENHA Deputy Engineer Javan Wandiema attributed the delays in paying claimants as the main stumbling block to the completion of the project. He said that KENHA had already escalated the matter to the National Treasury but they were yet to receive word when money would be available to pay the remaining claimants.
“Delayed payment of money for acquisition of affected land and property on some sections of the road has resulted in contractors suspending works on this specific road. The unavailable section in total is 7.598 kilometer out of 36 kilometers,” said Eng. Wandiema.
The development comes just a month after a Commissioner with the National Land Commission (NLC), Esther Murugi, revealed that the Government had approved the release of some Sh50 million as part of the billions of funds owed to PAPs whose land was acquired for the dualling of the key highway. The money which was approved on December 9 was expected to be credited to the beneficiaries’ bank accounts before the end of the year.
“We know the Projected Affected Persons are a bit unhappy but we also understand the financial situation that the country is in and it will be our wish that once a project is started the affected persons are paid upfront. But we are doing whatever we can with the acquiring agent,” she told KNA in December last year during a two-day Historical Land Injustices claims forum organized by the Commission.
Normally such monies are wired to KENHA who in turn credits the funds to the NLC which is the paying agent.
By Wangari Mwangi and Samuel Maina
