Uasin Gishu county government is demolishing structures encroaching on road corridors, County Executive (CEC) for Public Works and Transport, Gideon Birir has said.
There has been an ongoing demolition of business structures along Kapsabet Road to pave way for road construction. A number of business houses were pulled down by bulldozers last month, sparking widespread condemnation of the county government by investors.
Speaking in his office, Birir said that building a house along the road corridor is an investment in futility, adding that the county government had issued notices to all businesses affected prior to the demolitions, which the owners defied, prompting the demolitions.
The CeC said the road expansion process has been driven by the demand for footpaths by pedestrians, adding that this will help ease congestion on the roads, emphasizing that the demolition was for the good of the people
Birir claimed that some unscrupulous investors are manipulating land records and acquiring counterfeit title deeds before putting up businesses on public land.
“When the county threatens to demolish their structures, they rush to court and obtain injunctions. Such petitions upset our development processes. The end losers are the residents of Uasin Gishu,” he observed.
Birir also said that his ministry is committed to infrastructural development in the county, insisting that no force whatsoever will be allowed to cripple such processes.
He called on the media and other stakeholders to offer education to people about land matters so that they don’t end up being conned in fake land deals, or criticize the government when demolition of illegal structures happens.