Corporate News
Former Attorney General Charles Njonjo. PHOTO | FILE
By BRIAN NGUGI, bnjoroge@ke.nationmedia.com
In Summary
Residents of the upmarket Runda estate are headed to
court to oppose plans to build a Sh1 billion shopping centre by a
company associated with former attorney- general Charles Njonjo.
This follows the dismissal of an appeal by the National
Environment Tribunal in which residents of the posh neighbourhood had
objected to the construction of the low-density commercial estate in the
area.
Officials of the Runda Association (RA) Monday said they would move to the High Court to oppose the hotel’s construction.
“We intend to go court, our lawyers who have been
on the case have instructions to do so,” said Peter Mwangi, chairman of
the Runda Association.
Grenadier, through its subsidiary Grove Limited,
plans to build a hotel, an office block and a shopping centre in Runda
targeting business tourists and diplomats.
Mr Njonjo and billionaire businessman Baloobhai
Patel who are shareholders of Grenadier Limited were not available for
comment. Mr Patel was said to be out of the country.
The Runda residents had sought a hearing at the
tribunal in March last year challenging a National Environment
Management Authority (NEMA) licence given to Grove Limited to develop
the seven-acre plot.
But in a decision on May 9 that offered relief to
the Njonjo group, the tribunal unanimously dismissed Runda residents’
appeal and affirmed NEMA’s decision to approve the project after
conducting an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).
The Tribunal’s decision paves the way for
commencement of the project that comprises a 200-bed hotel, a retail
centre and office blocks.
The project has been delayed for over 400 days pending the hearing and determination of the matter.
“We will seek recourse against the ruling by the
tribunal,” said the Karura Member of County Assembly Kamau Thuo in a
separate interview.
Among their grievances was that part of the land on which Grove plans to build the hotel is public, and that there was no evidence of public participation.
Among their grievances was that part of the land on which Grove plans to build the hotel is public, and that there was no evidence of public participation.
The residents had also claimed that that there was a
river or stream flowing through the property and that there was breach
of title conditions relating to use.
The resident’s lobby had also claimed that the land
was in an ecologically sensitive area which comprises a swamp and
floods during the rainy season; and that the project area is a source of
water to residents of the sprawling Githogoro informal settlement.
“The nature of construction such as The Grove will
generate upwards of 400 weekly casual workers with about 50 daily for
the duration of the construction. The workers are difficult to trace,
raising a big issue on security,” the Association had said in an earlier
petition to the Nairobi County Government
No comments :
Post a Comment