More than 10,000 homeowners find themselves at a crossroads following a warning issued by the Machakos County government, led by Governor Wavinya Ndeti, on Wednesday last week.
The government declared the sale of Mavoko land as illegal, cautioning potential buyers to proceed at their own risk. This development comes in the wake of East African Portland Cement (EAPCC) revealing its intention to regularize 709 acres of land and offer it for sale. EAPCC has stated that individuals already occupying the land will be granted priority in the sales process.
In a notice dated October 17th, EAPCC announced, “East Africa Portland Cement wishes to inform the public of its offer to sell the mentioned parcels of land (REGULARIZATION OF LR NO. 8784/144, 145&653 MAVOKO) through a regularization model.”
Additionally, EAPCC emphasized that current occupants of the Mavoko land would receive first priority, and those facing eviction were required to formally register their land with EAPCC within 14 days.
EAPCC has set a deposit of KES 100,000.0 as a commitment fee, with the balance to be settled within a three-year period. The regularization process began in 2022 following a series of public consultations. EAPCC’s objective is to generate KES 45.0 billion to address its debts by regularizing and disposing of 16,000 acres of Mavoko land.
In the notice, the Machakos County government cautioned the public against the sale offer presented by EAPCC, asserting that it did not adhere to the required procedures. The notice also underscored that EAPCC lacked the county government’s consent to sell or subdivide the land, and no application had been submitted for the change of land use from agricultural to residential.
As the predicament of Mavoko homeowners persists, they have urged the County government and EAPCC to engage in discussions to resolve the impasse.
