Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja on Sunday, April 30, revealed that his government was embroiled in a court tussle with 735 landlords from posh estates of Kilimani and Kileleshwa for going against the development laws.
According to Sakaja, the developers put up buildings of up to 15 floors instead of the stipulated fourth-floor limit.
In an interview with Citizen TV, the Governor explained that the developers sent in applications clearly noting that they would follow the stipulated rules but once the approval was done, their implementation was different.
“We have 735 pending cases in our courts. There are those who get approval, and the approval goes through but once it is done, the implementation is different from what is approved.
“We have to follow the right process. We have arrested and charged quite a number of developers but then you ask and then what?” Sakaja questioned.
The county boss was responding to an uproar from residents of Kilimani who lamented that the rapidly growing highrise buildings affected the infrastructure in the area and caused a strain on the existing road network.
The residents lamented that the buildings also affected the sewer lines in the area and the infrastructure would no longer be able to accommodate the constantly growing population.
“Greedy developers are finding their way coming up with structures that we have never seen within this area. I am challenging some of the agencies in charge to stamp their authority, especially the governor of Nairobi.
“This means that in terms of density, the sewer, which was designed over 50 years ago, and the pipes erected and the road network, like the Kindaruma Road, cannot support the upcoming population,” David Kiaraho, a homeowner in Kilimani, lamented.
The Governor, however, stated that the county government was setting up a 10 per cent greenery policy for developers to ensure that the environment was well taken care of.
“The 10 per cent greenery policy is to be implemented by developers. There are many estates and flats where it is all just concrete. It is not good for our health,” noted Sakaja.
Further, he noted that the stipulated distance between any development and the road ought to be six meters. The distance is left for the purposes of road expansion.
“We are redesigning many of our roads and we expect people to follow the 6-meter rule. We will have to take strict measures because we are looking towards the future. If we don't sort this out now in Nairobi in five years, it will just be anarchy.
“For every development brought up, there must be a green space. You must provide trees and you must have a place for children to play,” Sakaja added.
The rapid highrise buildings have, in recent years, seen wealthy homeowners sell their homes and relocate after decrying a lack of privacy.
