National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) has been plotting to demolish seefar apartments in Nyayo highrise estate in Embakasi on claims that the apartments were built on a riparian land.
This comes amid plans by the national government to have affordable housing as part of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s big 4 agenda.
The plot has been opposed by several leaders, among them Nairobi County Senator Johnson Sakaja who termed the plot as being hypocritical.
Issues of demolishing buildings standing on riparian land started way back in August with most buildings along Lang’ata road getting affected.
This saw Kiambu governor Ferdinand Waititu give his opinions, suggesting that rivers should be diverted instead of bringing down the buildings. This remarks saw Kenyans make hilarious memes.
Dont you think demolishing 12 storey apartments could affect the tenants who are common mwananchi? Furious Kenyans opposed the move via social media, arguing that the Nairobi dam adjacent to the apartments had already been polluted.
Nairobi Dam is in terrible shape, full of hyacinth & it smells because of effluence from the polluted Ngong River.
Be that as it may, NEMA wants the Seefar Apartments demolished because it apparently threatens this sorry excuse of a dam. #HuaweiY9KE pic.twitter.com/gTbvk2qyHg
— James Wamathai (@Wamathai) October 20, 2018
On October 15, 2018 a notice from NEMA was seen, extending notice for demolition from 14 days to 30.
NEMA extends demolition notice of Seefar Apartments from 14 to 30 days to allow fresh probe if the buildings sit on Nairobi Dam’s riparian reserve. pic.twitter.com/P9UzcZQ6nr
— Stanley Sugut (@StanleySugut) October 15, 2018
If demolished, it is the tenants who could be affected alongside the developer. This led to the tenants to hire a private Surveyor to find out the solution on the claims by NEMA.
A report by the surveyor says the buildings are not on riparian land.
The 12-storey building has 260 houses.
Nema and the Water Resources Authority in a notice dated September 12 to Edermann Property – the developer – said the building is on Nairobi Dam’s riparian reserve.
The survey was to determine the horizontal distance between the highest point of Nairobi dam`s embankment and Seefar apartment.
Mithamo findings state that Seefar Apartments lies within the cadastral boundaries of LR No.209/12108.
“It was determined that the highest point on the crest of the dam is approximately above sea level,” Mithamo added.
He said that the ground levels of the apartments are approximately 1657.72m above sea level.
“The longest distance from the distance on the embankment to Seefar apartments is 54.98m while the shortest distance is 42.00m,” he added.