At least 5,000 buildings in Nairobi worth more than Sh500 billion are earmarked for demolition, the Nairobi Regeneration Committee has said.
The targeted structures are on public land, road reserves, wetlands and or were constructed without approval by the county government.
Tourism CS Najib Balala, who co-chairs the regeneration team with Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko, said most of the buildings are in Westlands and Kileleshwa.
“We are concerned that in Westlands area, most buildings are on riparian areas. If we are to take action, over 5,000 could go down. This will be a major destruction to the economy,” Balala said.
The CS, however, said that even though the structures have been earmarked, plans to pull them down have been put on hold until all riparian land and wetlands areas are fully defined and properly identified.
The identification process is ongoing, Balala said.
“After that, then it is possible to determine the buildings that fall on riparian land,” Balala told the Senate’s Lands Committee.
The CS appeared before the parliamentary panel yesterday to respond to questions raised by Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja about the mass demolitions of buildings in the city last year.
Balala said before the demolitions resume, they will discuss with the affected property owners and other agencies on compensation and on legal processes in conformity with the law.
He said they are also putting in place mechanisms to ensure the rights of the investors and property owners are not hurt economically or their rights violated.
“I alerted President Uhuru Kenyatta and the head of the civil service, Joseph Kinyua, immediately I got hold of the report recommending the demolitions of these buildings. I told them that we needed to have a serious discussion before any action is taken,” he said.
The CS explained the President was keen on ensuring that while the law must be followed, Kenyans too should not be subjected to any form of oppression.
Kinyua suspended all demolitions in the country late last year to give room for consultations.
Balala was accompanied by Housing PS Hinga Mwaura, Building Inspectorate secretary Moses Nyakiongora and Nairobi deputy County secretary Leboo Morintat.
At least five high-end buildings had been brought down in the city at the time, sending shock and worry among investors.
They are the Sh2 billion Southend Mall off Lang'ata Road, the Sh5 billion Airgate Centre Centre in Embakasi, Ukay Centre in Westlands and several walls of apartments in Kileleshwa.
Hinga, who chairs the multi-agency task force auditing the buildings, said they are currently mapping out areas as riparian and wetland, public or road reserve.
Leboo said the proliferation of illegal building is a societal problem. Developers have been putting up buildings faster than approvals.
