No reference to the National League for the Disabled of Kenya could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

Regarding the issue of "land grabbing" by government officials, a report entitled Pilfering the Public: The Problem of Land Grabbing in Contemporary Kenya details the irregular privatization of public lands by government officials in Kenya (Africa Today n.d.).

Although no specific information on land grabbing from organizations working with the disabled could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate, two news articles were found on land grabbing in the Nairobi suburb of Shauri Moyo (East African Standard 18 June 2002; Daily Nation 6 May 2001).

The East African Standard reported that the two "dominant" and "contentious" issues facing the constituency of Kamukunji, which includes the suburb of Shauri Moyo, are housing and the grabbing of public land (East African Standard 18 June 2002).

The Nation reported that in 1992 the Nairobi City Commission decided to sell unprofitable and non-essential properties and assets, and use the proceeds to redevelop old estates such as Ziwani, Kaloleni, Shauri Moyo, Bahati and Gorofani (The Nation 6 May 2001). This decision led to influential businessmen, City Hall officials, politicians and church leaders building illegal structures and grabbing public land (ibid.). In protest, residents' associations were organized to lobby for their rights and in 1999 the government decided that original tenants should be given priority to purchase land and housing (ibid.). However, "some tenants ... have received threats and demands that they pay rent to new landlords (ibid.)."

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

Africa Today. n.d. Vol. 47, No. 1. Jacqueline M. Klopp. "Pilfering the Public: The Problem of Land Grabbing in Contemporary Kenya." http://iupjournals.org/africatoday/aft47-1.html [Accessed 28 Aug. 2002]

Daily Nation. [Nairobi] 6 May 2001. Dennis Onyango. "Tough War for Peace and Quiet in Urban Homes." http://www.nationaudio.com/News/DailyNation/06052001/Comment/SpecialReport1.html [Accessed 27 Aug. 2002]

East African Standard. [Nairobi] 18 June 2002. "Nyagah Faces a Major Onslaught." http://www.eastandard.net/elections2002/hotspots/nairobi/nairobi_area/kamukunji.htm [Accessed 27 Aug. 2002]

IRB Databases

NEXIS

Internet sites including:

Africa Online

Africa Confidential

AllAfrica.com

BBC Africa

Daily Nation

Disability.DK

Disabled Peoples' International

East African Standard

Human Rights Watch (HRW)

Kenya Web

Rehabilitation International

U.S. Department of State

World News Connection (WNC)

Unsuccessful attempts to reach the Kenya Human Rights Commission, the East African Federation of the Disabled, the United Disabled Persons of Kenya, the Wheeled Mobility Centre, the Mennonite Central Committee and the Swedish Organization of Disabled Persons.

Search engines including:

Google