Workers at the Buxton Point Affordable Housing project in Mombasa say their livelihoods are under threat following an escalating dispute between the private developer and county officials.
They have urged the parties to resolve their differences without disrupting construction activities.
The workers say they depend on the project to support their families and have no interest in the political and contractual disagreements surrounding its implementation.
Sammy Kazungu, a worker at the site, said the project had provided an important source of income for his family. He appealed to the county government and the developer to keep workers out of their dispute.
“I work at Buxton. This job has helped me and my family. The county should leave us out of their wars. We are not party to it,” Kazungu said.
Fatma Hussein, a businesswoman operating at Buxton Point, said the disruption had also affected businesses and those employing workers at the site.
“Some of us have people working for us here. Today, no work has been done. How are we supposed to pay for work not done?” she said on Wednesday.
She urged the parties to pursue legal channels if they had unresolved grievances rather than allow confrontations to disrupt the project.
“If they feel there is something wrong, let them move to court. Simple as that. Why are we creating chaos?” she posed.
The concerns follow clashes reported on Wednesday at the Phase Two construction site of the Buxton Point project. The confrontation involved workers, Mombasa county officials and some former residents of Buxton estate.
The incident comes amid an ongoing disagreement between GulfCap Real Estate, the project’s developer, and the county administration over obligations to former tenants and other aspects of the development.
GulfCap Real Estate is associated with East African Legislative Assembly MP Suleiman Shahbal, who has declared interest in the 2027 Mombasa governor contest.
The dispute has also unfolded against the backdrop of growing political activity ahead of the next General Election, with several leaders expressing interest in the governor’s seat, currently held by Abdulswamad Nassir.
Lands executive Hussein “Amadow” Mohammed has accused the developer of failing to honour an agreement to allocate 184 housing units to former Buxton estate tenants.
GulfCap chief executive officer Chris Ochieng has disputed the claim.
The two parties, alongside some former tenants, met at Tononoka Social Hall on Tuesday to discuss the outstanding issues.
Ochieng said the meeting turned confrontational, with the county executive indicating that construction could be halted until the developer fulfilled the disputed obligations.
One of the issues raised by the county concerns the establishment of an early childhood development education (ECDE) centre.
However, Ochieng said the facility had already been established but was temporarily being used by the project team. He explained that it was unsafe to admit children while construction was ongoing. He said the facility would be handed over to the county in December, alongside the homeowners’ units.
“It is very unfortunate that the Mombasa county officials are bringing politics into a national project. We have 492 homeowners who expect to take possession of their units by December,” Ochieng said.
He said the dispute was affecting hundreds of workers whose livelihoods depended on the project.
Ochieng maintained that the county would receive 10 per cent of the housing units upon completion, as stipulated in the contract. He argued that demands for the units before the project’s completion were not viable.
He further said former Buxton estate residents had been tenants of the county government, which had issued notices terminating their tenancies before the developer took possession of the land.
According to Ochieng, the developer provided each former tenant with Sh240,000 to support their relocation. However, he clarified that the payment was not compensation.
He added that some former tenants had purchased units in Phase One at preferential prices, while others were awaiting a Tenant Purchase Scheme that was beyond the developer’s control.
Ochieng said GulfCap had repeatedly engaged the State Department of Housing and Urban Development to secure approval for the scheme, which he said President William Ruto had committed to supporting.
Mohammed, however, rejected suggestions that the county would be intimidated. He accused the developer of orchestrating the confrontation and alleged that some individuals at the site had been armed with crude weapons.
“They can misuse people’s children, they can arm them with machetes and rungus so that they can hit government officials, but I will not be intimidated,” Mohammed said.
He maintained that the county would continue to pursue the interests of Mombasa residents and ensure that the law was followed.
“The law must be followed. When it comes to the residents of Mombasa, no one can intimidate me. It does not matter whether you are a billionaire or not. We have the people and we will ensure their rights are protected,” he said.
Ochieng urged the parties to resolve their differences without turning the development into a political contest. He said the project had significant social and economic implications for Mombasa.
Phase One of Buxton Point delivered 584 residential units, while Phase Two is expected to provide at least 1,400 units in 16-storey blocks.
