This archive report was first published on 5 December 2019.
Heavy rains in Ruiru have caused widespread flooding in the area, with residents of Varsityville particularly affected after the Uhuru Dam broke its banks on Thursday morning.
According to a letter written by Francis Kiarie, the lawyer representing the residents, the flooding is a direct result of the containment wall erected by the Kenyatta family during the construction of Northlands City.
The letter, addressed to Brookside Dairy Limited, which is also owned by the Kenyattas, states that the containment wall has blocked all drainage channels, causing the floodwaters to overflow into Varsityville.
“We have noted with concern that the dam in your property neighboring our estate has been expanding of late. Upon inspection during a site visit with your Chairman Collins Kowour and our Chairman Major (Rtd) John N Wanjagi, it was noted that you had actually increased the height of the wall at the spillway. This is without any doubt the cause of the rise in the dam water level,” reads the letter.
Residents are now fearing for the worst, with approximately 10 houses affected by the floods. The Kenyatta family's Northlands City development, worth Ksh500 billion, sits on an 11,000-acre piece of land located at Kahawa Sukari on Thika Superhighway.
