Mombasa governor taken to task over allocation of Buxton Estate houses

Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir before the Senate's Committee on Roads, Housing and Transportation in regards to evictions arising from the demolitions of Buxton estate, Mvita constituency, Mombasa county. (Elvis Ogina, Standard)

Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir has been criticised by Senators over failure to allocate new housing units to 522 former tenants of Buxton Estate who vacated the old houses to allow the construction of the new homes.

Nassir, who appeared before the Senate Roads, Transport and Housing Committee on Thursday, was hard pressed to explain why his administration had failed to abide by a resolution of the Senate to have former tenants allocated units.

Nominated Senator Miraj Abdullahi, whose family was among those aggrieved, told the committee chaired by Migori Senator Eddy Oketch that the former tenants had been promised the new houses that they were to pay for under a rent-to-own agreement.

“I would like to inform this Senate Committee that my family is among those affected by the developments in Buxton Estate where we were promised to be allocated new houses to be paid for under the rent-to-own agreement. What has happened is exactly opposite,” said Miraj.

Through a petition before the Senate, the 522 former tenants claimed they had not received a single unit after Phase 1 of the project was completed with those who applied for the units being subjected to tough payment terms.

Oketch asked Nassir whether the county had received all the houses from the developer for allocation of which Nassir said the county had signed an agreement with the developer to allocate them 184 units by the end of the development of Phase 2.

“My administration is yet to receive any housing units from the developer who is currently implementing Phase 2 of the project. I would like to state that I have been championing for their interests since my tenure as Mvita MP and will always do,” said Nassir.

The petitioners, however, pointed out that the county was expected to receive the units at the end of the first phase and that the developer and the county government had not disclosed the list of beneficiaries of the first phase.

Nassir defended himself saying his administration was supposed to receive units at the end of the second phase and that they cannot dictate to the developer who to sell the units to.

The Governors said his administration is committed to accommodating all the former tenants of Buxton Estate.

“I have been championing for the interests of Buxton Estate residents whom I served as their Member of Parliament. I would be the last person to stop them from getting what they deserve,” said Nassir.