The developer of Seefar Apartments yesterday said he followed all the procedures in the construction of the block which is scheduled for demolition. Yang Zeyung described the demolition notice as shocking and strange.
Nema and the Water Resources Authority in a notice on Friday to Edermann Property - the developer - said the building is on Nairobi Dam’s riparian reserve.
“As the developer we are shocked by the order by Nema and Warma. We have all the licences and the one from Nema even has a seal. We have not broken any law and this will soon be justified by the National Assembly Environment committee once they are done with their assessment,” Zeyung said.
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He said the building is more than 100 metres from riparian area yet the standard requirement is 15 metres.
“Warma inspected and approved the dam. They even told us that it is the safest dam in the entire country and that there is no cause for alarm. If there is any problem, the owner of the dam, who is Nairobi county should protect and secure it,” Zeyung said. The Environment Committee of the National Assembly led by the chair and Maara MP Kareke Mbiuki during a fact finding tour at the apartments acknowledged the fact that the dam is a safety risk to residents and hence something should be done to avert a calamity similar to the Solai tragedy.
“Inasmuch as we have to protect property developers from demolitions, we have to appreciate that things are not looking good here. We have an ambitious plan of providing affordable housing to Kenyans, but we have to factor in the safety. We have to prevent danger especially as we are approaching a season of heavy rains,” Mbiuki said.
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He said it is still early to conclude on the matter, but a team from different agencies will to look into the technical aspect and advise. He urged residents to be patient.
“The 30 days notice is enough to come up with a comprehensive report. The team will look at aspects such as how useful the dam is and how to ensure property buyers do not end up with documentation that does not carry weight,” the chair said.
Governor Mike Sonko while speaking at a separate event said a team of surveyors will visit the site to ascertain and do analysis of the situation and if they find that law was breached, then the building will be brought down. “We are not malicious; we have to protect investors. We do not want to destroy the economy of our country. We won’t allow the law to be applied selectively. If there is any breach of law take it to the bank we will bring the building down,” Sonko said.
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