This archive report was first published on 20 August 2019.
Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko has taken a bold step to bring sanity to the city by suspending the County Planning Chief Officer, Justus Kathenge, for allegedly violating the Physical Planning Act and Zoning Regulations.
The suspension comes after an investigation revealed that several houses in Lavington, Karen, and Kileleshwa were constructed without adhering to the Zoning Regulations, with some buildings having more floors than recommended for those areas.
According to Leboo Morintant, the acting County Secretary, the main reason for the suspension was the failure to comply with the Zoning law. He added that Governor Sonko's agenda is to bring order to the city, and this cannot be achieved if there are poor planning and no regulations in place.
As part of the measures to address the issue, Governor Sonko has appointed a team to vet and audit all buildings in the city. Those that do not meet the required standards will be demolished.
The County Secretary emphasized that this move should serve as a warning to developers who ignore the set rules to construct buildings.
It is worth noting that Governor Sonko has also threatened to do away with almost half of the Cabinet Secretaries for being corrupt, citing the Land and Planning Department's alleged collusion with developers and Chinese investors to put up structures without following the rules.
