Kajiado County Governor Joseph Ole Lenku Friday visited Kajiado North Constituency to look at ongoing projects that are transforming the County.
During his visit, the Governor met more than 700 structure owners of the sprawling low-cost Mathare estate in Ngong town, which has since been renamed Umoja Estate.
Lenku said the owners will soon benefit from title deeds and improved infrastructure in a partnership between the government and the Kenya Informal Settlement Redevelopment Programme (KISRIP).
Ole Lenku emphasised his commitment to ensure that no resident will be dispossessed of their land. “I wish to re-emphasise my commitment that no resident will be evicted from their land, especially a place they have called home for many years,” he said.
The upgrade of Mathare has been part of a broader participatory planning approach involving community engagement and consultation with stakeholders.
The plan includes the provision of basic infrastructure, prioritising water supply and sewerage with the engineering design that connects the slum area with the main city council systems and with some slum structures that need to be demolished to create wayleaves for water and sewer infrastructures.
The Governor also had an opportunity to inspect various water projects in Olkeri and Ngong Wards as part of his development tour of Kajiado North.
Among the projects were the Oloosurutia-Nkoroi water project, solarisation of the Ngong Booster borehole, repair of tanks and solarisation of the Gichagi Water Project, as well as inspection of the construction of roads and footpaths, drainage systems and public lighting infrastructure works in Gichagi.
Ole Lenku also dispatched roadworks machinery and equipment leased from the National Government’s Mechanical and Transport Fund (MTF), assuring they will cover all five wards.
He was accompanied by MP Onesmus Ngogoyo and MCAs Stephen Ngatho (Olkeri), Eli Gor (Oloolua), Mwaura Mbiriri (Ngong), Maina Mutiga (Nkaimurunya) and several senior county officers.
By Wangari Ndirangu
