Joho group pulls down KBC wall in land dispute

Youths bring down a perimeter wall in Mombasa on September 30, 2016 erected by Kenya Broadcasting Corporation. KBC managing director Waithaka Waihenya said the broadcaster will file contempt of court charges against Mr Joho. PHOTO | KEVIN ODIT | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The land had been used as a dumpsite by the county before the wall was built around it last year.
  • KBC’s coast regional controller Mwana Suleiman said the corporation had fulfilled all the requirements by the county.

Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho on Friday led a group of county askaris and hired goons to bring down a perimeter wall built by the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation around a plot the national broadcaster and the county have been fighting over.

Also present was County Executive for Lands Antony Njaramba as the rowdy youths brought down the wall on the 22-acre VOK grounds in Bombolulu.

The two leaders accused KBC of not seeking the county’s approval.

The land had been used as a dumpsite by the county before the wall was built around it last year.

Speaking at the site as he supervised the demolition, Mr Joho said the property has “issues that must be addressed before anything is built on it”.

“We have not approved the construction of this wall,” he said.

“Whoever wants to implement a project in Mombasa must seek approval from the county government. The law is very clear on this, and it must be followed,” added Mr Joho.

However, KBC’s coast regional controller Mwana Suleiman said the corporation had fulfilled all the requirements by the county, including payment for the approval of erecting the wall.

“We paid the county government a total of Sh521,100 for approval to put up the wall,’’ Ms Suleiman said at the scene.

“The piece of land is known to belong to KBC and never has any part been sold to anyone,” she added.

She produced documents showing that the county received the amount. They included a copy of a cheque of the amount, dated September 16, 2014.

Ms Suleiman also produced a court order dated May 12 allowing KBC to complete fencing off of the property to avert encroachment.

KBC moved to court last year after the county government wrote to the broadcaster accusing it of erecting the wall without approved plans and failing to notify its Lands Department.

KBC managing director Waithaka Waihenya said the broadcaster will file contempt of court charges against Mr Joho.

Governor Joho said he was at the site to supervise the demolition after learning that the contractor had been assigned armed Administration Police officers, apparently by Coast Regional Coordinator Nelson Marwa.

“When we ask the contractor about the approval plans, he says we should talk to Marwa. That is why we are saying that everyone should do his designated work,’’ the governor told journalists at the site.