Nakuru residents fight bus terminus near State House

Construction of a multimillion-shilling modern matatu terminus at the upmarket Milimani Estate in Nakuru Town has met opposition from residents, who claim it will compromise the security of State House, situated 500 metres away.

Residents also claim if the Mololine Milimani Annex stage is built in the estate, it will affect learning at Lenana Primary School, which is a few hundred metres away.

Through the Milimani Residents Welfare Association, the locals on Monday urged the county government of Nakuru to revoke the licence issued to Mololine, a shuttle service company.

But in a rejoinder, the management of Mololine dismissed the residents' claims and maintained that it was not compromising the security of Nakuru State House.

STATE HOUSE

“This facility is very far from State House and is noise-free. If anything, it is a modern facility that is targeting the Milimani residents as they are in a class of their own,” Mololine chairman Njoroge Bomasu told Nation.co.ke.

Interestingly, Governor Kinuthia Mbugua's official residence is in Milimani Estate and his government had assured the association that the conversion of a residential house into a matatu terminus would not be allowed.

The department of Lands, Housing and Physical Planning under Executive Member Rachel Wanjiku Maina has been on the spot in recent times for approving mushrooming developments that critics say are devaluing the posh estate.

The estate that was once a haven of peace and serenity away from the hustle and bustle of Nakuru's town centres and was home to who is who in the Rift Valley capital has been turned into a noisy neighbourhood.

FAMILY UNITS

The single residential dwellings have been converted into multi-family dwellings, discotheque halls, hotels, hospitals and other commercial premises.

In their letter to County Secretary Joseph Mogusu Motari, the association said the estate was originally planned to have only low-density, single-family dwellings and should remain like that.

“The association is opposed to any change of user from single dwellings to multi-dwellings or commercial without our approval,” said association secretary Wenceslaus Miheso.

Mr Motari said the county government would not allow Milimani to lose its residential designation and promised to take up the matter with the department of Lands, Housing and Physical Planning.

“It would be very wrong to start erecting dwellings that are not compatible with Milimani and we shall not allow this to happen,” said Mr Motari.

COURT ACTION

The association said contrary to the laws, the county leadership did not consult them.

Subsequently, the residents of the estate that sits on the foothills of the scenic Menengai Crater, have turned the heat on Mr Mbugua's leadership for un-procedurally changing the planned use of their estate.

“We have constantly complained to the county government for contravening the Constitution and violating environmental laws but apparently our pleas have fallen on deaf ears,” said association chairman Joel Wanderi.

The association recently went to court and successfully obtained temporary orders to stop the construction of a multimillion-shilling residential project in the estate.

In its judgment delivered last month, the court said the change of user contravened articles 10 and 47 of the Constitution as well as the process of environment management and conditions and public planning laws.