Residents of Royal Park estate in Langata have taken to the street to protest what they term as infiltration of their privacy by a local developer who want to put up highrise apartments in their residential area.
Just like their counterparts in Parklands, Taza Lane area, the residents argue that the proposed highrise building that a certain developer wants to put does not conform with the law and at the same time the area lack a well established sewer line to accommodate a large population of tenants.
They cried out that the developer has violated the existing laws and all efforts for dialogue has failed to bare fruits.
” We have tried all possible ways to solve this issue but all vain, now we have decided to act, this developer is plotting to construct shanties and funny structure in our residential apartments, we say enough is enough,” said Abdullahi Dahir, their chairperson.
They said that all efforts to stop the works has not been successful and their complain at the nearest police station has not been acted upon.
” We have more than 10 OB numbers at the Langata police station which we believe are genuine, the station has decided not to listen to us, this conflict may be bloody if nothing is done,” he added.
Engineer Hon. Mangiti, the team leader on behalf of infrastructure said that the developer has used force to put up structures.
” We shall Win the war, let us work in unity and bring our resources together” he adviced the residents.
He said that the Royal apartment has senior and respected officials in the society who needed to be respected.
In Parklands, Taza Lane area residents took a developer to court for alledgly not following a court order that had stopped the construction of high rise buildings also in residential areas.
The same has also happened in Kileleshwa.
According to Women who voiced their concerns, action was more needed.
The angry residents further brought down a gate that had been constructed by the said developer and carried it to Langata police station where they expressed their disatification.
According to residents, the estate has internal bylaws inherited from the original developers where the subdivision was made in such a way that it could only take single dwelling.
The plot sizes are 10×20 meters, and the roads within the estate can not accommodate the traffic that apartments come with.
Secondly, the sewer system was not designed to accommodate the population of Multi dwellings.
There is an association elected by residents that run the affairs of the estate, and there is consensus among residents that Multidwellings are not acceptable in the estate. The same is in the bylaws which is duly registered with the registrar of societies
Because the original zoning policy, as illustrated in the City Council zoning map for lower Karen/Langata, is single dwelling, plot owners are required to consult the residents and apply to the authorities when they intend to do change of user. Sadly, the rogue developers are not going through this important constitutional required of public participation
In the few Multi dwellings they did, they did not even adhere to the planning policy of providing parking for each household and setbacks from the road. This is usually not possible with the size of the plots.