Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo on Wednesday waded into the ongoing, yet controversial demolition drama of high end buildings along Nairobi River’s riparian land.
In a tweet after the demolition of South End Mall valued at over Sh2 billion along Langata Road in Nairobi, the avid lawyer proposed apprehension and charging of owners of similar buildings.
“It’s painful to let people acquire Riparian land, process building permits, construct, occupy, get authority to connect electricity & amenities, secure tenants and business permits, then wake-up to order demolition! Let the Buildings fall! But all in the Chain must pay a price!” he tweeted.
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Mr Otiende’s call for action adds a voice to hundreds of Kenyans online who have urged the Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji to take action against the owners of buildings which have been condemned, particularly by virtue of occupying riparian land.
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“Dear DPP. Shouldn't prosecutions be following? After all, laws were broken when people built, and were allowed to build, buildings on our rivers, no?” posed renowned cartoonist and columnist journalist Alan Gathara.
On his part, Kericho Senator Aaron Cheruiyot felt that the demolition of Sound End Mall was good gesture, urging NEMA to bring down the controversial Taj Mall, which is highly linked to DP William Ruto.
“Finally the building on riparian land opposite T-Mall goes down. Taj Mall should by now have begun taking itself to the ground,” he said via twitter.
The earlier threats by NEMA took a new twist early this week when the authority officials embarked on a mission to demolish high end buddings in Nairobi’s Kileleshwa and Riverside.
On Monday, a Shell Petrol Station and a Java restaurant were flattened along Ring Road in Kileleshwa, and the operation was to move to the posh Riverside drive in Westlands, before heading to the controversial Taj-Mall in Eastlands.
“We are coming… Riverside is the next one. If you go there you will see have marked several buildings for demolition? Unfortunately, when you mark them, the owners paint the marks pout and so you can’t tell. But the owners have copies of the notice, which we issued on May 6,” an official at the site of the demolition intimated to pulselive.co.ke.
NEMA confirmed that the demolition was meant to pave way for the cleaning of Nairobi River which is choking with dirt.