By Dickens Wasonga

ULTIMATUM

The completion of the ongoing work of the expansion of the Kisumu Airport has come under threat as members of the Kogony community have given the airport authorities a two Week ultimatum to solve the mystery surrounding their compensation on the land.

Led by nominated councilor George Weda and Kogony ward councilor Joseph Osir, they instructed the resident engineer Patrick Cain who is overseeing the work at the airdrome to organize for a meeting with the Nyanza provincial Commissioner together with Kenya Airport Authority (KAA) managing director and two permanent secretaries from lands and transport ministries to find a solution to the impasse.

Addressing the press after a meeting with the airport authorities at the site, the two civic leaders said they agreed with the resident engineer to organize for such a meeting in a fought night to come up with a lasting solution on the issue.

They accused the government of taking too long to meet their demands citing that with the ongoing fencing of the facility, they risk not being compensated on the already acquired land.

They said they had given the government enough time to meet their demands but it has been reluctant to solve their problem.

The two civic leaders even threatened to derail the work at the facility should their ‘rightful demands’ fail to be recognized and solved once and for all adding that they risk losing their support on the ground should they fail to win the battle.

The councilors said according to documents they have, their clan donated 206.09 Ha of land for the construction of the airport subject to their resettlement on an alternative land.

However, they added that the title deed on the lease certificate indicates 362.9 Ha thus say 158.81 Ha of their land is in dispute.

“It is the disputed 158.81 Ha of that land that makes us fill there’s a foul play in the expansion of this airport,” said councilor Weda.

And in a letter written by the two leaders to the KAA MD and dated October 3, 2010, they said the land was donated by their community in 1914, 1942 and lastly in 1975/76.

They said their clan (Kogony) was to be compensated by swooping the land with 1 ½ times land in Muhoroni (LR 3102 or LR 640)

They said their community did not acquire the land in Muhoroni adding that KAA and the ministry of Lands promised prior to the current construction of the airport full compensation of the land and construction of an ultra modern double stream primary school (Usoma) which was relocated to a new site as it lied on the demarcated airport land.

“All these have not been met and we’re left wondering when our people shall get justice,” said councilor Osir.

They also challenged their area MP Olago Aluoch to take the matter to the house should the meeting slated in two Weeks time fail to bear fruits.

“Our former MP Rev. Kenn Nyagudi tried to help us solve this impasse but unfortunately he lost his seat before his dreams could come true,” said councilor Weda.

The complains came just when the Prime Minister Raila Odinga asked KACC boss PLO Lumumba to name and shame those engaged in corrupt land deals when he led the government in the official handover of more than 50 title deeds to ministries and institutions at Ardhi house in Nairobi.

Ends