Panic as NEMA Targets More Buildings in New Crackdown

National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) issued a thirty-day ultimatum to residents of the posh Manguo estate in Nyahururu town who have built on River Uaso Narok riparian land to demolish them.

NEMA has targetted over 100 houses in this area for demolition with the residents set to lose properties worth millions of shillings.

On Friday, NEMA officials drawn from Laikipia and Nyeri counties toured the area where they marked the houses set to be demolished.

Reports by Standard that during the operation led by Laikipia NEMA director Fanuel Musoga, several plot owners whose houses had no septic tanks and linked to environmental pollution were arrested.

“We have given all those who have encroached on the riparian land to either demolish them or we do it ourselves at their own expense. No one should construct a house beyond the thirty meters limit as per the law,” reported Musoga.

He noted that this was part of the environmental agency’s agenda of trying to reverse the degradation of water catchment areas, in this case, the Uaso Narok River which supplies water to Nyahururu town and also the famous Thompson falls.

“We cannot sit and watch as the river is being polluted by some few individuals. All the landlords must comply with the law so as to bring sanity to this sector,” Musoga added.

The operation is set to be implemented across the country in order to help recover all riparian land that was illegally built on by individuals.

NEMA started this exercise in Nairobi which saw buildings worth millions of shilling brought down by the famous green bulldozer.

Leaders were split on the effectiveness of the demolitions with Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu noting that the rivers should be shifted rather than destroying peoples investments.

 

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