Investors say decree on substandard buildings likely to be abused

Nairobi, Kenya: Investors in the housing sector in Nairobi’s vast Eastlands area are worried that City Hall officers might abuse a recent presidential decree on substandard buildings.

They argue that blanket condemnation of buildings on the basis that they were not approved is in bad taste and will ruin their multi-million shilling investments.

Assembly Deputy Speaker Ken Ng’ondi said buildings that were structurally well built using the correct building materials, that have been in existence for years should not be pulled down.

Mr Ng’ondi maintains that the officials from the City Physical Planning unit should follow the right procedure before marking a building as unsafe for human habitation.

“We are not opposed to the audit and evaluation of the buildings, but officials carrying out this exercise must follow due process. The fact that a building does not have approval does not necessarily mean it poses danger to the occupants,” said Ng’ondi during a press conference at his office in Nairobi.

TITLE DEEDS

The Deputy Speaker said that it was alarming that even well-structured buildings within estates are going to be affected.

The Kware Ward Rep now wants the County Regularisation of Development Bill of 2014 speedily enacted to cure the ills of the defunct Nairobi City Council, that failed to approve building plans for developers without title deeds.

He says 75 per cent of buildings in Eastlands were built without approval because of a law demanding that a developer have a valid title deed.

“Once the Regularisation of Development Bill is passed, developers will get approvals for their building plans using certificates and other forms of identification, not necessarily title deeds,” said Ng’ondi.

Pipeline Ward Rep Anthony Kagiri warned that officials evaluating buildings in the area should be competent with knowledge of construction.

FAKE AUDITORS

He claimed there were people who have started threatening building owners that their premises would be brought down unless they part with some money.

“Inasmuch as we support auditing of the structures, I want to urge President Uhuru Kenyatta and Governor Evans Kidero to tread with caution on this issue,” said Kagiri.