7 Huruma buildings to be demolished Tuesday

The seven-day grace period that was given by Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero for tenants in Huruma to vacate houses earmarked for demolition lapses on Tuesday, paving way for demolitions to begin.

Nairobi County Lands Minister Christopher Khaemba said the county government will on Tuesday begin by demolishing six buildings next to the one that collapsed over two weeks ago killing 51 people.

Khaemba said an elaborate plan on how the demolitions will be executed would be released during the Tuesday morning media briefing.

Kidero had suspended demolition of buildings condemned by the National Construction Authority for a week to give tenants sufficient time to find houses elsewhere before they are brought down.

Ministry of Housing, Public Works Department Director of Administration George McGoye last week said there would be no compromise on the buildings declared unfit for human occupation.

McGoye also says all buildings on riparian land including the one next to Tmall Shopping Center along Langata Road and Ukay Center that houses Nakumatt Ukay will be demolished.

Just recently, a building in Westlands housing the Nakumatt Ukay Supermarket suffered flooding and destruction of goods on the shelves, attention now turning to such buildings built on wetlands.

About 226 buildings in Nairobi County that do not meet construction standards have been earmarked for demolition

Early this month, the building inspectorate secretary in the Public Works Ministry, Moses Nyakiohoro, told Citizen Digital that so far 2,601 buildings have been inspected in a bid to clear the county of dangerous structures.