Haki Yetu, Buxton tenants demand EACC action on controversial housing project

Haki Yetu, a lobby group that has long advocated for the compensation of former Buxton estate tenants, has called on the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to intervene in the disputed transaction between the Mombasa County government and Gulf Cap Africa.

The call came as former tenants, joined by Haki Yetu, staged a peaceful protest today demanding transparency and accountability in what they describe as one of Kenya’s most controversial public land deals.

Executive Director of Haki Yetu, Peter Kiama, said the group had submitted detailed evidence to the EACC in March 2024, but 18 months later, no substantive feedback has been provided.

According to Kiama, the Buxton project represents one of the most disputed public land transactions in recent county and national history.

“It involved the forced eviction of 522 families, displacing over 3,500 residents, while a prime public asset was handed to a private developer under a joint venture agreement whose details remain hidden from public scrutiny. Serious concerns persist over the Mombasa County government’s stake in the project, amid allegations that the government walked away with only 10 per cent of a prime public asset,” he said.

Kiama added that the protest coincides with International Anti-Corruption Day, highlighting the urgent need for justice and closure for displaced families.

“On this day, we stand with the former Buxton tenants to demand that the EACC release its investigation report on the Buxton Point affordable housing project,” he said.

For more than five years, families displaced from Buxton have lived with unanswered questions, while the legality and transparency of the joint venture continue to be questioned.

Haki Yetu said that the prolonged silence by the Commission has added to the emotional strain of affected families and warned that without accountability in high-profile cases like Buxton, impunity risks becoming normalised under Kenya’s Affordable Housing Programme.

The group’s demands include a clear timeline for concluding the EACC inquiry and releasing the full report to the public in line with constitutional access-to-information requirements.

Also, disclosure of progress and preliminary findings, including any challenges encountered.

They also demand accountability for public officers or private actors found to have violated procurement or anti-corruption laws, with appropriate sanctions and remedial actions.

Kiama emphasised that what is happening in Buxton is both a local issue and a national test of whether Kenya will allow irregular public land transactions to become the norm.

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• Buxton tenants demand EACC action on controversial housing project

“The former tenants deserve closure, Kenyans deserve honesty in public land management, and the EACC must break the silence. Justice demands it. The public interest requires it. The Constitution obligates it,” he said.