Gov't to Demolish More Than 3,000 Illegal Buildings in Nairobi

The government has announced it will demolish more than 3,000 illegal buildings in Nairobi in the coming weeks.

Public Works Principal Secretary Paul Maringa says the structures to be brought down are ones whose owners ignored demolition notices served to them by the National Construction Authority (NCA).

The government official says most of the buildings are located in Nairobi's informal settlements, including Huruma, Githurai and Gachie.

"The law is very clear on what is needed when it comes to construction. There are agencies enacted to ensure certain criteria are met in order to protect both lives and livelihoods. We cannot allow anyone without necessary approvals and without meeting the set criteria to carry out construction in this country," says Maringa as quoted by the Star.

The PS spoke during a press briefing at his office on Monday, accompanied by National Building Inspectorate Secretary Moses Nyakiongora and NCA boss Maurice Akech.

At the same time, Maringa says they have recommended the prosecution of individuals behind the illegal structures and those who flouted construction regulations.

An operation targeting structures built on riparian land, road reserve and public land was launched a few months ago by a multi-agency team.

The team consists of officers drawn from the Nairobi County government, NCA, National Environment Management Authority (Nema), Water Resources Management Authority (Warma), ministry of Public Works among others.

Several buildings including Ukay Mall, part of Oshwal Centre, Airgate Mall (formerly Taj Mall), South End Mall among others have since been demolished.