Kenya Stockholm Blog

Kenyans are witnessing the era of demolition of buildings especially in Nairobi apparently to reconstruct Nairobi city and make it a better place to live in. But according to Chairman Martin Ngatia, the demolitions are selective because structures that were erected by top thieves in Uhuru Kenyatta’s government are not being demolished.

The biggest example is the case of Weston Hotel that belongs of Deputy President, William Ruto and which sits on a piece of land that is documented to have been stolen public land. Despite demolitions in Nairobi, Weston Hotel has not been touched and Mike Sonk, Nairobi Governor who has been overseeing the demolitions, is quiet. Why?

Mr. Ngatia laments the fact the demolitions is part of a process that has been in motion for a long time and that included demolitions of houses belonging to poor Kenyans in Kibera. Although the KRA Chairman is opposed to structures being erected on road reserves and illegal structures being erected on land meant for social amenities, Ngatia’s beef is that the demolitions should include all structures because as it is today, excluding structures that belongs to the big fish amounts to “selective justice.

Ngatia also touches on the issue of the Chinese who have returned to re-colonize Kenya using loans that Kenyans will never be able to repay. The loans are being disbursed in the name of railway construction but the railway lines, together with the train wagons that the Chinese have brought into the country are sub-standard and not worth the money.

Ngatia says that apart from the sub-standard nature of the railways together with old wagons, similar railway projects that have been undertaken in Ethiopia and Tanzania are of a much better quality at a cheaper price.
Additionally, Ngatia says that the engagement with the Chinese is of no help to the Kenyan Youths because the Chinese come with their own work-force thereby depriving Kenyans opportunities for jobs.

According to Ngatia, all the current negative developments in the country are happening because Kenyans are asleep while Ngatia also argues that the country lacks patriots who can rise to the occasion and confront the situation. Watch the video and have your say.

Okoth Osewe