Hotel on Lake Naivasha faces demolition

The management of a hotel being built on riparian land around Lake Naivasha has been ordered to bring it down in 14 days or face legal action.

The hotel is being constructed by a Chinese and a local investor around the wetland in Buffer Farm, off Moi South Lake road.

The notice by National Environmental Management Authority (Nema) came after several NGOs raised alarm over the ongoing structure that is located a few metres from the shores of the water body.

The move comes barely a fortnight after the National Land Commission (NLC) put on notice all investors who have encroached on the riparian land.

According to Nakuru County Nema Director Antony Saisi, the hotel was being illegally constructed on the land.

Mr Saisi said Nema officials had visited the hotel under construction and ordered that it be brought down with immediate effect.

“We have issued the management of the hotel with a 14-day notice to demolish the structure failure to which we shall start legal action,” he said.

He noted that the owners of the hotel had done an environmental impact assessment, but Nema was not involved.

The official, at the same time, issued a warning to hoteliers, flower farmers and individuals who had put up any structures around the lake that their days were numbered.

The CEO Lake Naivasha Water Resources User Association Enock Kiminta, who was the first to raise the issue, expressed his concern over the mushrooming structures.

The land commission, through its chairman Muhammad Swazuri, has said that it will in two weeks publish the official map showing the boundaries of the riparian land.

According to Swazuri, initial investigations had shown that some flower farmers, hoteliers and individuals had encroached on the riparian land.

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