The county government of Nairobi launched the Nairobi County Integrated Development Plan (CIDP) which entailed among other things, construction of modern kiosks sometimes in 2014.
Despite the good intentions to replace the wooden and iron sheets contraption that often litter the roadsides with good well-painted metallic kiosks, the plan has taken a new diabolic twist, that of land grabbing under the pretence of modernising kiosks.
These kiosks have been constructed on designated places across Nairobi such as the ones selling fruits outside the Nairobi Hospital etc. However, in some places, especially in the wider Eastlands area, residents have seen these kiosks constructed on previously unoccupied land. This is a cause for worry to some residents in these areas particularly Imara Daima Estate.
A resident of Imara Daima estate sent an anonymous email to the editor of CNYAKUNDI.COM complaining that land is being grabbed in the area through the mushrooming of these modern kiosks.
Hebatulla builders ship prefabricated containers to sites around Imara Daima estate at night. The resident says that the ‘rich are grabbing public spaces disguised as programmes to eradicate poorly built kiosks, whereas in real sense they are grabbing land’. At Ks. 12,000 per month, the modern kiosks are too expensive for poor people to afford.
Mike Sonko should stop this charade and address the complaints raised by the residents. Letters to the Nairobi County Government have gone unreplied.
Mr. Sonko, residents of Imara Daima await your action on this matter.
