London Distillers Kenya Limited is challenging the ongoing construction of Great Wall Gardens housing project in Athi River, Machakos county.
Erdermann Property Limited is building residential houses on a parcel LDK says was reserved by the defunct Mavoko Municipal Council for industrial development.
On Friday LDK filed a case with the Environment Tribunal seeking to stop the housing project with immediate effect.
LDK has listed Nema, Erdemann Property Limited, DCI, DPP and the Attorney General as respondents.
The company filed an affidavit through its environmentalist Benjamin Langwen hours after Erdemann Property Limited managing Director Zeyun Yang accused its management of using all strategies to frustrate his multi-billion housing projects.
Yang said Parliament recently directed Nema to immediately grant him a license for the third phase worth Sh3.2 billion.
“I am wondering why LDK can’t adhere to Nema guidelines and directives issued to it by the Parliamentary Committee on Environment. This is too much. They are now discharging their affluent into our project site,” he said.
“Must Athi River residents keep suffering due to pollution by LDK?”
Erdemann has constructed over 4,600 housing units and handed over most of them to buyers.
The proposed Great Wall Gardens phase three comprises of 688 units and is expected to be completed in a year’s time.
However, the claims were dismissed by LDK’s environmentalist Chris Michy who said the discharge was not affluent but water for irrigation.
“We were there in the morning. It is not affluent but water from our kitchen gardens that drains through the boundary wall,” he said.
He said the project’s foundation had interfered with their irrigation line hence the flow.
