Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu seemed to be at loggerheads with his party boss President Uhuru Kenyatta on the method the Jubilee administration adopted in reclaiming riparian lands. The process of which has seen a number of notable buildings demolished.
Mr Waititu expressed his disapproval of the demolitions which is a clear contrast with President Kenyatta who defended the process on Sunday.The Kiambu governor said the demolitions are not a solution and that they have caused huge losses which should not be allowed.Speaking on Sunday afternoon during a thanksgiving service for Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung’wah at Gikambura in Kiambu, Mr Waititu called on the government to rethink its approach on the matter.
I am not in support of some of the things am Witnessing going on in Nairobi. If your house is near a river, you should be told to move that river away from the building at your own cost. Demolishing houses is not a solution. Honestly speaking, it’s such a big loss,” Mr Waititu said.
Also in attendance was Deputy President William Ruto and Jubilee leaders.
Earlier on Sunday, President Uhuru Kenyatta affirmed that the Demolitions would continue adding that he was ready to lose friends over the same. He was speaking at Faith Evangelistic Ministry in Karen.
“Over the last few weeks, I have lost very many friends. I have been getting countless phone calls from people pleading with me., How can you sit down and watch all these destruction going on? You must stop it. And I said, well, It’s difficult to stop, not because we love to destroy, but because we must fight impunity for if we fail to fight impunity, we will not achieve our dreams,” said President Kenyatta.
The president said no matter how powerful the lords of corruption and impunity think they are, how connected they are or how wealthy they are, it will not save them from the big stick he has formed to fight impunity, saying for to Kenya to succeed, corruption and impunity must be fought.
Last week, a multi-agency team demolished the Sh2 billion South End Mall located at the junction of Mbagathi and Lang’ata roads in Nairobi.
A Java House coffee outlet, a Shell petrol station and Safe Dose pharmacy, which were operating in a building erected less than 30 metres from the banks of Nairobi River were also demolished.
Residential houses built on Ring Road Kileleshwa next to Shell petrol station were demolished by the team which consists of officials from the National Environment Management Authority, the National Youth Service and the Nairobi County government.
Thousands of buildings, owned by powerful individuals are being targeted in the demolition exercise that kicked off on Monday and is expected to last for about two months.
In a report by the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA), dated June 26, the Government has earmarked buildings, structures and even facilities sitting on riparian land which will soon be flattened.On Monday, the multi-agency team comprising of NEMA, KURA and Nairobi County brought down Shell petrol station in Kileleshwa along with the popular Java restaurant, a tenant of the station while South End Mall was also a casualty.