The Lower Eastern Times Opening The Third Eye
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Three months after the dismantling of structures on the East African Portland Cement Company (EAPCC) land in Mavoko sub-County, individuals of ill repute are profiting immensely by excavating murram and depositing black cotton soil from nearby construction sites onto the property.
Commencing on October 13, 2023, amid heightened security, the demolitions spelled misfortune for approximately 3,000 residents over the subsequent 10 days as bulldozers razed homes, schools, entertainment establishments, and places of worship.
Aimi Ma Lukenya (AML) Association, asserting ownership of 4,298 acres of land, had engaged in a legal battle with EAPCC management at the Machakos Land and Environment Court. On October 9, 2023, Justice A. Nyukuri of the Machakos Court adjudged EAPCC as the lawful proprietor of the land, dismissing AML Association’s lawsuit. The demolitions commenced four days later, resulting in the subsequent arrest and arraignment of three AML Association leaders in a Nairobi court.
Post-demolition, debris and construction materials were swiftly cleared, and barriers were erected at various access points to prevent further encroachments. However, ongoing murram excavation and black cotton soil dumping, reportedly facilitated by certain unscrupulous individuals, EAPCC personnel, and police officers, persist as an orchestrated endeavor.
Truckloads of murram are being mined, with loaded trucks transporting the material to a private property in Athi River township. This activity has resulted in extensive pits, exacerbating pre-existing cavities left by previous occupants before eviction.
Despite the presence of armed Administration Police officers patrolling the land, the illicit extraction of murram continues, allegedly yielding significant financial gains for select individuals.
Simultaneously, illicit dumping of topsoil, sourced from construction sites in nearby Kitengela town, transpires under the cover of darkness. Victims of the recent demolitions lament the degradation of the land and question the government’s intentions for affordable housing initiatives.
Pamela Muthui, EAPCC’s Public Relations Manager, refutes the firm’s involvement in murram excavation, asserting that a tender was awarded to remove limestone waste.
EAPCC aims to sell land valued at Sh15.6 billion, including 907 acres for its regularization and 13 plots of 50 acres each to the Kenya Wildlife Service. Plans also include the surrender of LR NO 10425, measuring 4,272 acres, valued at Sh25 billion, for affordable housing, and the gazetting of 1,000 acres as an export promotion zone. These lands were previously occupied by locals before the October 2023 demolitions.
