The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) has deleted a record on its website which showed that the Weston Hotel owned by Deputy President William Ruto applied for extension and alteration of Dolphin Hotel allegedly encroaching on sea land.
Following the arrests of Nation journalists who were roughed up and handcuffed at the construction site, it was conclusively established on Friday by reporters through a search on the NEMA website that the extension was approved by the agency under application number NEMA/EIA/PSR/6347.
By Saturday, 18th August 2018, however, the NEMA website no longer featured any record of the application.
The National Construction Authority (NCA) also gave a greenlight for the building under under registration number 301031560016.
The construction site is allegedly protected 24 hours a day by police officers and prison warders working on shifts.
[caption caption="Weston Hotel"]
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Nation claimed that among those who assaulted photojournalists Karim Rajan and Laban Wallonga were prison warders.
Police asserted that some officers were legally contracted to offer the security services at the site.
Inspector-General of Police Joseph Boinnet ordered a probe following the journalists' arrest to establish those culpable as he vowed to take action.
“We want to know who was on the wrong— whether it was our officers, the journalists, the contractors or the askaris then further action can be taken. As of now, we do not know anything," he stated.
The journalists were detained at Bamburi Police Station reportely "on orders of a top government official".
[caption caption="DP William Ruto"]
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