By Staff Reporter | Wajir Today | Tuesday, 28 April 2025 

Land valuation for the Horn of Africa Gateway Development Project (HOAGDP) cutting across Wajir County has gathered momentum, with nearly 3,000 properties expected to be affected as authorities prepare for compensation, the National Land Commission (NLC) said.

In a statement, the NLC, working with the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA), said its officers have spent the past three weeks in Kutulo and Wajir town mapping and documenting properties along the HOAGDP corridor.

The commission said about 320 property owners in Kutulo have already been registered and validated, marking one of the most advanced sections of the exercise.

Across the wider Wajir stretch, from Wajir town through Lafaley, Tarbaj, Hungay and Wargadud to Kutulo, officials estimate that nearly 3,000 properties, including homes, businesses and informal structures, will be affected.

The NLC said the exercise has been expanded to include small-scale traders and owners of informal structures, groups often excluded from compensation processes in past projects.

Affected residents are now being informed of the impact on their properties and their compensation entitlements, with formal acceptance processes set to begin this week in Wajir town, the commission said.

The commission said the exercise has largely been met with cooperation from local communities, easing concerns of delays that have affected similar projects in northern Kenya.