Apprehend SGR land scandal masterminds

The construction of the Standard Gauge Railway has been steeped in deep controversy right from the beginning. Now, the extension of the line from Nairobi to Naivasha has stirred a fresh row, specifically over land compensation. In the latest case, there is a massive scandal about land valuation, amounts of money for compensation and speed of disbursement.

Our investigations reveal how wheeler-dealers have shamelessly inflated the cost of land, exaggerating the prices to fleece the government but underpaying the land owners, most of whom are less knowledgeable and exposed. It is a major rip-off. The government is losing money and land owners are losing properties.

Some of the culprits have been arraigned in court to face criminal charges but we are concerned about the principle. It is incredible that ours is a society where those entrusted with public projects cannot do the right thing. Thieving is the order of the day. We need an end to this.

Since inception of Phase One of the SGR project from Mombasa to Nairobi, which was completed in 2017, the concern has been the astronomical costs involved. That artery consumed some Sh327 billion, arguably the highest cost registered in rolling out a project of that magnitude. To be sure, the Nairobi-Naivasha line is estimated to cost Sh150 billion. The investments are massive.

It is not lost that the government miserably failed to secure additional funding to extend the rail line beyond Naivasha – to Kisumu and ultimately Busia to connect into Uganda as earlier envisaged, due to several apprehensions on the project. Although not openly expressed, the concern that the costs were too high and that Kenya may not be able to repay the loans given its debt pile-up, was underpinned by the fact that even in the execution, the country could not be trusted to do the honest thing.

The National Land Commission, a creation of the current Constitution, was envisioned as an independent and professional organisation that would create order in the land management system. The outfit was intended to present a departure from the past bad practices at the Lands ministry. However, the way it has handled the land compensation all along has shattered all the hopes. Its operations are increasingly getting dodgy and messy.

The Director of Criminal Investigation must extend the scope of inquiry to establish the full extent of cheating involved in the land compensation. Genuine land owners must be paid appropriately and promptly. But action should be taken on all individuals who have wrongfully benefitted from the land compensation. We must end this culture of perennial theft and misuse of public office for self-aggrandisement.