The National Land Commission (NLC) has announced plans to compulsorily acquire privately owned land in Wajir County for the construction of a proposed military air base.
In a gazette notice dated October 30, the commission said it intends to acquire 0.8401 hectares of land on behalf of the Ministry of Defence for the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) project.
The targeted property is identified as Wajir Township Block 2/1424.
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The commission said the acquisition would be undertaken under Section 110 of the Land Act, which provides for compulsory acquisition of land for public purposes.
In the notice, the NLC stated that it intended to acquire the parcel on behalf of the Ministry of Defence for the proposed Wajir Air Base.
The process is expected to involve inquiries into compensation for the affected landowner, with the commission indicating that details of the inquiries would be communicated as the process progresses.
The Wajir project is among several public infrastructure developments for which the government has identified privately owned land for compulsory acquisition in different parts of the country.
In Lamu County, the NLC has also scheduled inquiries involving two parcels earmarked for the Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia-Transport (LAPSSET) Corridor project.
The two parcels measure 84.65 hectares and 218.9 hectares, bringing the total land targeted to 303.55 hectares. The inquiries are expected to address compensation and the propriety of the proposed acquisitions.
Meanwhile, four parcels in Kisii and Bomet counties have been identified for the construction of Mugenu Bridge along the Kaplong-Kisii Highway. The parcels collectively cover 2.6588 hectares.
A further 1.2523 hectares has been earmarked for the Mahor River Project along the Kilgoris-Longorian Road.
In Nakuru County, the commission has scheduled an inquiry into the proposed acquisition of five acres adjoining Kenyatta Barracks.
According to the notices, the inquiries for the various projects are expected to take place at designated chiefs' offices as the acquisition processes advance.
Affected landowners are required to submit written compensation claims alongside identification documents, Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) PIN certificates, ownership records and bank details for consideration during the inquiries.
The compulsory acquisition process is intended to establish the compensation payable to affected property owners before the government takes possession of the land for the identified public projects.