In a shocking revelations, Nairobi Governor Johnstone Sakaja through his Built Environment and Urban Planning County Executive Committee Member (CECM) Stephen Gathuita Mwangi has told the high court that the illegal developers behind shoddy in Parkland’s Taza lane area have overpowered his officers. 
The court has been told that the Nairobi County enforcement officers are unable to implement the court order and quick interventions from the President William Ruto led administration were needed
He says that the site is now guarded with armed police officers who may even kill his staffs is they continue visiting the area to stop the works.
To deliver the point home, Mwangi said that the site was illegal and it lacks legal backing.
He was speaking during the mitigation in a case in which he has been found guilty of contempt.
The matter was coming up on 27th February 2024 at the environment and Lands Court but in a quick rejoinder in court papers seen by our reporters, Mwangi said that on 17th February 2024, the petitioners informed him that construction work had resumed on the Suit Property at LR 209/7549, Taza Lane, City Park Drive, Parklands.
“Myself and the petitioners in the company of Nairobi City County’s Enforcement Officers, proceeded to the Suit property. On our arrival, the few construction workers on the suit property ran away and we thus shut the main gate to the construction site and marked on the construction site’s main gate the words “illegal construction site”. “Closed site”. To my utter surprise and shock, on 19th February 2024, armed officers from the National Police Service were deployed to the site to ensure resumption of construction works and to supervise the same,” said Mwangi stated in his defense.
He added that attempts to reason with the police officers and bring to their attention the existence of a court order stopping the construction works on the suit property were in vain.
“I am advised by my counsel on record which I verily believe to be true that, these ensuing circumstances are beyond our control and manpower and they have completely derailed and made docile all our attempts to enforce the court orders herein. We have at the moment completely exhausted our mandates and resources under the Act and are no longer able to enforce the court orders herein considering the machinations the developers have put in place to ensure the Court orders herein are not enforced,” SG. Mwangi’s Affidavit further read.
The Environment and Lands Court on 25th January 2024 found Patrick Analo Akivaga (County Secretary, Nairobi County) Stephen Gathuita Mwangi (CECM-Nairobi County), Stephen Mwadime, Richard Mumo and Fredrick Ochanda (all Senior Officers at built environment and Urban Planning) to be in contempt of court orders for refusing/failing to stop the on-going construction on 209/7549-Taza Lane, Parklands.
Court has also found Ali Ibrahim Hamamed, Stella Nyamu, Yusuf Asker Mohamed, Arch. Salim Komora, Eng. Wilson Lepartobiko and Burach Koch to be in contempt of court orders for their continued construction activities on the said property.
They have all been ordered to personally appear in court on 19/03/2024.
Several workers have died at the site but the officer in charge of Parklands police station is yet to make some moves to help their families get justice.