A United States wind firm has moved to court accusing the National Land Commission Chairman Muhammad Swazuri of awarding 3,000 acres of land allocated to the firm by the Lamu County government to a local energy firm. The firm,Cordisons International, intended to construct a Sh21 billion wind power plant in the land.
Cordisons International said that the disputed land is part of 11,100 acres that Lamu county had instructed the National Lands Commission to allocate to the American firm for the power project.
According to the Cordisons International, the move by Swazuri was part of a ploy to help a local firm, Kenwind to hijack its project, and wants the Lamu High Court to intervene.
The firm has sued Swazuri, the National Lands Commission, Land ministry, Lamu County and Attorney General and seeks to quash a gazette notice published in August that nodded Kenwind’s project.
Justice James Olola on Thursday issued a temporary order suspending the gazette notice, until Cordisons’ suit is heard and determined.
Lamu County government confirmed that it approved Cordisons’ project in 2012 and allocated 11,100 acres to the American firm, but that the NLC was now seeking to hive off 3,000 acres and award it to Kenwind.
According to National Lands Commission, it threw its weight behind Kenwind, arguing that the firm had already obtained necessary approvals from the national government.
I thought Lamu has Lots of…
I thought Lamu has Lots of Native Squatters (in their Own Land) who need their land back. Kenya hii?