• The bridge has been under construction by Kura since January.
•The hospital’s Chief Executive Officer James Nyamongo said works on the footbridge must be suspended as it exposes the public to radioactive exposure.
Image: COURTESY
The Kenya Urban Roads Authority and Nairobi Hospital are caught in a tussle over the construction of a public footbridge.
The Nairobi hospital wants the road authority to suspend the construction of a footbridge connecting its facility to Kenyatta National Hospital along Ngong road saying it poses as a security threat.
In a statement on Thursday, the hospital’s Chief Executive Officer James Nyamongo said works on the footbridge must be suspended as it exposes the public to radioactive exposure.
“The hospital is demanding that the construction of the footbridge be suspended to allow for inclusive consultations in accordance with the constitutional requirements of inclusive public participation and stakeholder engagement,”he said.
Nyamongo also said the construction exposes the hospital’s power and oxygen plants to potential terrorist or other criminal attacks while also concerns have been raised about the safety of radioactive materials fitted in its cancer treatment centre.
In response, Kura dismissed claims by Nairobi Hospital's management that the construction of a public footbridge would pose a security threat.
The Director General Silas Kinoti led authority acknowledged that the private hospital had requested the bridge be moved 50 meters from their fence, a request that was considered.
“Correspondence has been made with the hospital and they gave their input requesting the bridge to be moved 50 meters from the original location and it was done,"Kura said.
Defending the project, Kura said all the stakeholders were consulted during the construction process.
"KURA has engaged the multi-national security and environmental agencies on the matter and the agencies advised on remodifying the bridge and we did as advised,” they said.
Kura urged the hospital to be considerate in its demands considering that the construction of the bridge had stalled over differences with the hospital's management.
"Nairobi Hospital is one of our greatest institutions but must consider public safety, loss of lives, traffic along this road, and financial implications due to project stalling and delays,” reads the statement.
“ The statistics of the pedestrians knocked around KNH are alarming and thus a footbridge is urgently needed to avert more deaths."
The bridge has been under construction by Kura since January.
The other two footbridges are located at Coptic Church and the Kenya Science Technical College and they have been under construction since last year.