Kiambu County governor Ferdinand Waititu has been accused of frustrating Tatu City development project. The Tatu City head Nick Langford told journalists on Saturday that most developments in the state-of-art mega city have stalled.
“The county government of Kiambu has refused to consider Tatu City applications for approval of building plans, to the detriment of our project’s development. Waititu should be reasonable and allow the project to succeed,” Langford said.
Waititu on Monday told a local daily that Tatu City has declined to surrender land for public utilities such as primary schools, health centre, market or social hall.
“Surrendering land is not a new condition. It’s normal for every subdivision. If you have 100 acres and to want to subdivide, you must surrender open spaces for public amenities,’ the governor said.
“Even if they construct high-end schools in the city, they need to understand that workers who will be employed in factories or industries in the area will have kids who’ll need to go to schools they can afford,” Waititu said.
Waititu said that he is a member of the Kiama Kia Ma council of elders which is why he was involved in the ceremony.
“I had to attend the ceremony like anyone else because I am a member. It was not the first ceremony to be held there. Even before Tatu City invested there, Kikuyu elders led by Mzee Jomo Kenyatta used to conduct traditional ceremonies there and that’s why the fig tree is known as ‘Mugumo wa Kenyatta’,” he said.
The Kikuyu elders, after being denied access held their kurathima muthiigi ceremony to bless the leaderhip at Oj Palace in Ruiru sub-county.
“We have been performing our ceremony at the Mugumo tree situated in Tatu City land. We are not interested in taking their land neither have we been sent by anyone. We strongly condemn those who fed Tatu City management misleading information that we were out to grab their land,” said senior elder muthamaki Dominic Ng’era.
The Tatu City area has been under coffee plantation since 1906. Tatu City bought the land from Belgian company Socfinaf.
Langford called on the national government to intervene and solve the impasse.
He said at least 45 local and international entities have invested over Sh50 billion in the Tatu City project. Some 7,000 houses are under construction and will be ready for delivery by 2020.
Tatu City projects that the project will give 150,000 Kenyans permanent jobs and 220,000 semi-permanent jobs when it is complete in 20 years.