London Distillers Kenya Limited (LDK) continues to challenge Erdemann Property Limited's (EPL) Greatwall Gardens housing project at the Environment Tribunal, alleging the developer secured an unapproved Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) license for the Athi River development. The dispute, ongoing since 2020, centers on whether EPL complied with environmental regulations, particularly the Environmental Management and Coordination Act of 2015.
LDK's legal team argued during a June 2020 hearing that EPL failed to conduct a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) for the third phase of the project, which LDK claims violates national guidelines. Former National Environmental Management Authority (Nema) employee Benjamin Langwen testified that a SEA was necessary, but EPL's defense witness countered that residential developments like Greatwall Gardens do not require such assessments under the 2015 Act.
EPL's managing director, Zeyung Yang, stated the project aligns with President Uhuru Kenyatta's Big 4 Agenda for affordable housing and has incurred over Sh1 billion in losses due to construction halts. The developer also cited parliamentary directives urging Nema to grant a Sh3.2 billion license for the third phase, which remains pending.
The tribunal is set to reconvene on July 30, 2020, with EPL expected to present additional evidence. LDK's lawyer, Makongonya Tiego, sought a court order to consolidate the case with an earlier Environment and Land Court (ELC) application, but the tribunal rejected the motion.
