The National Buildings Inspectorate (NBI) issued a 14-day demolition notice to owners of structures on Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) land on September 25, but the occupants have refused to comply, claiming legal ownership of the sites.
Mr. Pravin Dalilnya, a landowner, asserted that his group obtained approvals from the City Council and Nema, along with documents from the Lands Office, to justify their presence. However, the NBI's notice highlighted that the structures were erected without authorization from the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA), which oversees the site.
A Parliamentary Public Investments Committee (PIC) report revealed that 67% of the airport's land was illegally allocated before formal surveys, with 60 entities receiving plots from the Commissioner of Lands. The report specifically cited Manchester Outfitters, which constructed a facility called Manchester Knits on a plot (LR 209/24092) deemed hazardous due to its location on the flight path.
KAA emphasized the danger posed by the structures, stating that the area falls within the runway approach funnel and must remain obstacle-free. The authority has requested the Commissioner of Lands to revoke allocations in the zone, while the PIC recommended demolishing illegal buildings and reclaiming the land.
Despite the warnings, a spot check by the Nation found the Manchester Outfitters facility complete but unoccupied. A company representative claimed unawareness of the demolition notice, requesting time to verify the document. The PIC also noted similar land losses at other airports, including Kisumu, Eldoret, Malindi, and Ukunda, totaling 972.36 hectares.
