Nairobi West Hospital has been put on the spot over the alleged grabbing of a piece of land it uses as parking.
The owner of the hospital which is located in Nairobi West, off Lang’ata Road on Gandhi Avenue, approximately 150 metres from Nairobi West Shopping centre, grabbed the plot which is a children playground.
Efforts by locals to get back their land fell on deaf ears until the area Member of County Assembly Rex Omolleh, organized a protests to reclaim the land.
To avert a possible clash between the residents and the hospital’s management, police on Thursday had to intervene and disperse pockets of protesters who had gathered to air their concerns over the matter.
Even after dispersing protestors, a heavy contingent of police officers manned the area around the hospital, ensuring that no one could access the land.
This raises eyebrows as to who the grabber who grabbed it and leased it to the Nairobi West Hospital as a parking space.
Grabbed and leased
“We organized a peaceful demonstration, we sent out letters out three weeks ago to the media houses and to the hospital and to the police and it is very unfortunate that the police were deployed, there were some many police officers on the ground, they wanted to arrest us, we’ve been chased away. Though the message is home, we are still going to come back for the land. The land belongs to the children of Nairobi West,’ MCA Rex Omolleh vowed.
The land grab at Nairobi West is reminiscent of the Langata Primary School fiasco by President William Ruto owned Weston Hotel.
MCA Omolleh says the Nairobi County Government has said the land use is illegal and directed that the walls out uo by Nairobi West Hospital be removed as the land is a public utility.
Nairobi West Hospital confirms that the land was leased to them but has refused to give the details of the person that leased it to them.
There’s an enforcement notice by the Nairobi County Government’s director of planning and compliance that orders the land be restored to its original use; a children playground.
Looks like the good people of Nairobi West will finally get their playground back. @naiwesthospital have been served. The hospital owner should be charged for stealing public land. It’s very important he restores the playground! Mkora huyo. Good job @SakajaJohnson @RexOmolleh. https://t.co/PxXOm2oi11 pic.twitter.com/Sq5rUZGBl2
— The People’s Watchman (@bonifacemwangi) October 16, 2024
CAPTION: The enforcement notice.
Nairobi West Hospital communications sent to Citizen Digital refused to issue a statement over the allegations.
“We will not issues a statement at this time; we will do so after a court order…please consult all relevant parties, including the land registry, the county government, the actual owner of the labd, as Nairobi West Hospital as a third party”, the Communications staff of Nairobi West wrote to Citizen Digital.
