Taj Mall, Oil Libya among 121 entities on grabbed public land

The National Land Commission (NLC) has confirmed that the Taj Shopping Mall in Nairobi’s Embakasi estate has been earmarked for demolition.

The commission’s Vice Chairperson Abigael Mbagaya says the commission revoked the title of the parcel of land where the shopping mall is built because it is public utility land.

Several others entities could soon be counting losses after their structures were also earmarked for demolition to pave way for the upgrade and expansion of outer ring road.

According to the NLC, the land on which the mall sits was fraudulently acquired 20 years ago and the same plot was then later sold to unsuspecting buyers.

In 1971, the government compulsorily acquired a parcel of land with an LR No: 7075/13/1 for a road reserve. That parcel was, however, illegally amalgamated with an adjacent parcel of land under LR No: 7075/21, a move that resulted in the creation of a bigger parcel of land with an LR No: 209/13938 that is the current disputed land that hosts the mall whose proprietor is Rameshchandra Govind.

However, it is not clear who merged the two parcels of land and when and how that happened remains more of a riddle.

What is clear, according to Govind, is that close to half of the mall is built on the public utility land and demolishing that portion is as good as bringing down the entire structure.

The NLC has confirmed that its determination has been communicated to all relevant parties and its now upon the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) to move in and act in accordance with their schedule.

A spot check by Citizen Television revealed an almost uninterrupted business environment despite allegations of some tenants vacating the premises.

But the Taj Shopping Mall is not the only entity that will be affected as NLC confirms that a total 121 parcels of land have been affected.

Other businesses whose titles have been revoked include an Oil Libya petrol station, the Jogoo Outering petrol station, a Gulf Energy petrol station and Safeway Supermarket among others and none of the businesses named will be compensated.

According to the acting Lands Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i, the government won’t relent in its endeavour to repossess land illegally acquired.