County Commissioner George Natembeya has warned landowners whose property sits on the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) corridor that the Government will not honour exorbitant compensation claims. Mr Natembeya, who led a team of Kenya Railways officials on a tour of the project in Suswa area in Narok East yesterday, said the key project has stalled after two families refused to relocate despite being paid KShs. 9 million and KShs. 13 million respectively by the Chinese contractor.
According to sources close to the landowners, they were demanding KShs. 36 million each to allow the railway to pass through their land. Natembeya however, said SGR was a flagship project that would serve all Kenyans, adding that it was sad that a few individuals wanted to take advantage of short construction timelines to make outrageous demands. The administrator said the NLC would only make payment after proper valuation has been done.
The two families are sitting on an 18.4-acre piece of land, where a section of the 120-kilometre stretch of the Nairobi-Emurtoto line will pass. KR mapping surveyor Geoffrey Wekesa said more than 80 families would be paid.
