Swazuri puts out list to guide Lamu port land losers’ payouts

The National Land Commission has advertised names of people set to be compensated after their land was acquired for the Sh1.5 trillion Lamu port and related projects.

In a newspaper announcement Wednesday, NLC Chairman Muhammad Swazuri issued a notice of inquiry to 249 affected people to appear before his commission on Monday to register their interest in the land.

The decision is expected to end the bickering that has persisted for two years in identifying the real landowners around Magogoni and Kililana, whose land was identified for the Lapsset project.

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“The commission gives notice that inquiries to hearing of claims to compensation for interested parties in the land required for the Lamu Port Development and Access Road shall be held from December 15, 2014,” the statement reads.

Dr Swazuri further announces: “Every person interested in the affected land is required to appear before the commission during the inquiry.”

RATES

The landowners were directed to provide copies of their national identity cards (IDs), personal identification numbers (PINs) and passport size photographs.
The commission did not make public the rate at which the landowners would be compensated.

The final list was produced after consolidation of three controversial lists prepared by the Lamu County Government, Lands and Housing ministry and a Lapsset consultant.

In September, Lands Cabinet Secretary Charity Ngilu toured the Lapsset port site and revoked the initial three lists of claimants. She instead ordered a re-identification of the families.

The initial list of claimants prepared by the National Government through then Lamu County Commissioner Stephen Ikua had 146 names, while the second list prepared by Lamu Governor Issa Timamy’s office featured 62 names. The third list was prepared by the Lapsset consultant.

Ms Ngilu cancelled all the three lists, saying, they had been disputed.

President Kenyatta recently cancelled his planned visit to Lamu for a ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of the first three berths of Lamu Port due to disagreement over who should be compensated.