Speaking during an interview on Citizen TV on Tuesday, PS Hinga explained that Eastlands covers roughly 3,100 acres and was originally planned to house 17,000 households, a density he characterised as inefficient at a time when the city’s population continues to grow.
Of the 3,600 tenants listed for relocation, the PDS noted that 3,300 have already been paid via M-Pesa.
Among the challenges for completing the payments, he pointed out, include verification issues such as mismatched identification numbers.
“Tenants in Makongeni were paid, but others who have sublet their houses did not inform their subtenants of the same. Legally, we have no obligation to the subtenants but we have agreed they too will be paid the Ksh.150,000, which is equivalent to nine years’ worth of rent,” he said.
“We entered into a very engaging conversation with the tenants. I don’t know whether you have ever heard of a situation where a tenant is asked to vacate and then you get paid to leave. Most of the time, the tenants pay the landlord. In this case, we agreed that we are going to pay the tenant to leave.”
He added that the initial relocation offer was Ksh.30,000, but following negotiations, the amount was raised to Ksh.150,000. He said all 3,600 tenants signed consent forms to the agreement.
PS Hinga responded to reports of several Makongeni residents who revealed the challenges of starting over in a new place.
The majority of the families complained that the government was disrupting their lives as they had resided in the area for decades.
Despite these concerns, the government maintains that the redevelopment plan offers residents the first opportunity to purchase units in the Affordable Housing scheme once complete.
