Court stops Kenya Airports Authority from evicting locals to pave way for airport expansion
"Court bars KAA from paying off residents to expand Malindi airport"
The Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) has been stopped from forcefully compensating 25,000 residents to allow the expansion of Malindi airport. This comes six months after the government disbursed Sh300 million to the National Land Commission (NLC) for compensation, with land survey and property evaluation having started. Justice James Olola issued the orders that also restrain KAA, the National Land Commission (NLC), the Attorney-General and the Kenya Police Service from forcefully evicting the residents at Kwachocha...
Through their lawyer, Stephen Obaga, they claimed the compensation will not be fair until the pending land cases are heard and determined. “The expansion of the Malindi International Airport at the heart of town is a risk to heart attack patients, expectant mothers and children,” he argued and proposed the airport be constructed at an earlier proposed site in Lango Baya which is 60 kilometres away. The residents, who moved to court through Mtangani CBO, also claimed the airport expansion will result in the demolition of 4,000 permanent and 2,220 semi-permanent houses, causing them a huge loss.