Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery says if the developer fails to collect his materials by Wednesday, the government will clear them away/MIKE KARIUKI
NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 20 – The government has given the developer claiming the disputed land at Lang’ata Road Primary School 24 hours to collect their materials, following Monday’s demolition of a perimeter fence.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery said the government would go ahead and clear the materials if the developer failed to take any action.
“We want to establish the grabber of this land…whoever the person is should take his materials as fast as possible failure to which on Thursday we shall take them,” he directed during an early morning visit to the school Tuesday.
He said the playing ground will be levelled and the school compound fenced, “since the land belongs to you (the school). The days of land grabbers are numbered.”
The CS also apologised to the pupils after they were tear-gassed and some injured during Monday’s incident terming it as unfortunate.
He further assured that the officers responsible will be held accountable of their actions.
“Starting with the commanders, they shall explain to us what transpired,” he stated.
READ: Officer who led teargas assault on pupils suspended
Demonstrations turned violent at the school Monday when police tear gassed protesters including school children, sparking public outcry locally and internationally.
READ: Pupils teargassed as wall at Lang’ata school demolished
A senior police officer who led the assault on the children has been suspended to allow investigations into the police action.
The Interior Secretary however condemned the use of school pupils in the demonstration.
“We knew there were going to be riots but this was politically instigated because the normal legal approach should have taken its course,” he regretted.
“The politicians incited the public; some of the police were hit by the activists who used the children as the shield. It’s very unfortunate that such a thing happened.”
He affirmed the land belongs to the school just as the National Land Commission had earlier stated.
On January 16, the National Land Commission (NLC) said preliminary investigations showed that the two acres of land under contention near the Wilson Airport footbridge belong to the Lang’ata Road Primary School.
NLC Chairman Muhammad Swazuri said that land records show that the public institution was awarded the grant for the land in 1974 after an initial allocation of 7.5 acres in 1972.
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