Demolitions: Waititu wants rivers 'moved' - VIDEO

Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu has differed with his party boss President Uhuru Kenyatta on the approach the Jubilee administration has taken in reclaiming riparian lands, and which has seen a number of buildings demolished even in posh city suburbs.

Mr Waititu said he was unhappy with the ongoing demolition of buildings which President Kenyatta defended 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 said the government should rethink its approach on the matter.

Present during the thanksgiving ceremony was Deputy President William Ruto and other Jubilee leaders.

MOVE RIVERS

“Some of the things I am witnessing there (in Nairobi), I am not supporting [them]. 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.

Mr Waititu’s remarks came as a sharp contrast to those of President Kenyatta, who had earlier in the day spoken at Faith Evangelistic Ministry Church in Karen, where he said the demolitions will continue and that he is ready to lose friends just to do what is right.

“Over the last few weeks, I have lost very many friends. Because I have been receiving very many calls (of people asking me), how can you sit down and watch all these destructions (demolitions) going on. You must stop it. And I said, well, it’s difficult to stop. It’s difficult to stop, not because we love to destroy, but because we must fight impunity because if we fail to fight impunity, we will not achieve our dreams,” said President Kenyatta.

LORDS OF IMPUNITY

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 which he has weld 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.