Kahawa residents urge City County govt to pull down condemned buildings

Two commercial buildings that the Nairobi County government condemned last month for failing to comply with construction regulations are posing danger to local residents.

The residents of Kongo Estate in Kahawa West say the buildings could collapse any time and they want them pulled down.

The county government had ordered the owner of the two buildings to demolish them immediately after the tenants vacated.

They vacated following the directive of Nairobi County Land Officer S.G. Mwangi when he visited the area on May 27. Mr Mwangi advised them to move out to avoid an imminent disaster.

Mr Mwangi had promised that the county government would demolish the buildings if the respective owners failed to pull them down.

City Hall has partially destroyed the two buildings by removing parts of the walls to ensure they were not habitable. Tenants have since moved out.

However, local residents say the buildings pose a risk since they could collapse any time.

LEANING TO ANOTHER HOUSE

One of the buildings is next to a school while the other one, which is said to be owned by an employee of the Murang’a County government, is leaning on a neighbouring residential house.

The owner of the house, Sarah Mathenge, and her family were also ordered to vacate until the five-storey building is pulled down.

However, Mr Mwangi said he could not say whether City Hall would pull down the buildings.

“I only visited the place, but someone else is handling the (demolition) matter,” he said.

But a letter the Nairobi County director of planning, compliance and enforcement, Mr J.M. Kathenge, wrote to Mrs Mathenge and her husband, Stephen Mathenge, informed the couple that city authorities did not intend to take any other action than what they had done.

This was after Mrs Mathenge reported to City Hall about the impending danger the building was posing when she noticed cracks in her house.

It is then that Mr Mwangi led a team to the area and ordered all tenants to vacate.

The couple had last week written to Mr Kathenge requesting the county government to offer them alternative accommodation since they had been living with a friend.

Earlier, City Hall had informed the couple that they would not compensate them for any damage.

In his letter, dated June 15, the director of planning informed the couple that the county government had no provision or resources for alternative accommodation for them and their four children.

“You are advised to report the matter to the police for malicious damage,” Mr Kathenge said in the letter.