Raila's Karen Neighbours Protest Over New Multi-Million Building

Hussein Mohamed during an interview with ODM leader Raila Odinga
Hussein Mohamed during an interview with ODM leader Raila Odinga in 2017.

A heated fight is brewing in ODM Leader Raila Odinga’s neighbourhood in Karen, Nairobi, Kenyans.co.ke learned on Sunday, November 8, 2020. 

The residents of the area which also hosts Jubilee Secretary General Raphael Tuju and former Attorney-General Githu Muigai, have written protest letters to the National Environmental Management Authority as well as the Nairobi County Government over a multi-million apartment building which they say violates area laws.

They claim that the original owner subdivided the said plot of land on condition that the construction would be of single-family dwellings, in accordance with zoning regulations. 

An ariel view of Karen, Nairobi
An ariel view of Karen, Nairobi
File

However, the developer identified as Francis Gichuhi, allegdly erected a 3-storey building with multiple residency units. 

“We, however, note with concern that he has decided to illegally add a residential block of three units contrary to zoning regulations and physical planning and Land Use Planning Act,” the protest letter read. 

In his defence, the developer responded that he had followed all regulations. 

“Regulatory authorities write from time to time to contractors and in my case, I provided every document they wanted. If I was breaking the law, they would have taken action by now. The building is already complete,” he said. 

The increased demand for housing in Nairobi has prompted the county government to rethink zoning by-laws which banned certain types of constructions in the leafy suburbs. 

The County Government passed a motion allowing the construction of commercial centres and high rise apartments in some upmarket neighbourhoods

For many years, Karen which was named after Karen Blixen-Fincke, a Danish writer behind the movie Out of Africa enjoyed laws that set it as a low-density residential area.

During the colonial era, suburbs were strictly intended for residential purposes, with a single home sitting on acres of land with manicured lawns.

The Kenya Alliance of Residents Associations has been opposing what older residents term as infiltration of the high-end estates by illegal properties that reduce the value of the land.

Some of the properties that have recently come up in the leafy neighbourhoods include hotels, petrol stations, bars and restaurants, office developments and new gated communities.

“While we appreciate that there is pressure in the city for housing and that there is need to address it, reviewing the zoning policy to allow multi-dwelling developments in low-density neighbourhoods will not conclusively and sustainably address the problem. A more holistic and consultative approach that takes into consideration various aspects of development planning for the city is required,” Kara Chief Executive Officer Henry Ochieng’ offered during an interview with reporters.

An ariel view of an upcoming gated community in Karen
An ariel view of an upcoming gated community in Karen
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