Mike Sonko Says Tall Residential Buildings without Elevators will be Demolished
Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko wants residents living in buildings with more than five floors and which have no elevators to vacate.
Taking to social media, the Governor said such buildings are targeted for demolition in ongoing crackdown on illegal structures in the city.
“Musikubali kuishi kwa flat ya more than 5 floors na hazina lift wala proper approvals za serikali. Nyumba aina hii zote zitaenda chini. (Do not accept to live in a flat that is more than 5 floors lacking a lift and without government approvals. These kinds of houses will all come tumbling down)," he said in a post on Facebook.
Sonko said his administration will not wait for another tragedy to happen through collapsed buildings as witnessed in Nairobi in the past few years. He said all unfit structures will be brought down and urged residents to stop risking their lives by staying in such buildings.
He said: "Tumechoka kuzika watu innocent kila saa kutokana na uzembe wa engineers wa county na greedy landlords. This time round tunawapeleka jela before tupoteze maisha ya wakenya tena.(We are tired of burying innocent people every now and then as a result of the laziness of county engineers and greedy landlords. This time round we shall take them to jail before any Kenyan life is lost)."
Most of this buildings are located in Nairobi's populous Eastlands estates including Huruma, Umoja, Kayole, Fedha and Pipeline.
Comments
This demolition business is…
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This demolition business is getting out of hand. When the owners of these tall buildings were constructing them, why didn’t the government put elevators as a requirement? One day you are demolishing buildings sitting on sijui rivers, next you are demolishing tall residential buildings without elevators, next maybe you will be demolishing all buildings roofed with iron sheets as opposed to bricks/matufari.
Waoh we can't please Kenyans…
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In reply to This demolition business is… by Nyina wa Raila (not verified)
Waoh we can't please Kenyans , can we? When nothing is being done , we make noise, when something is being done, now we sympathize. Well a wrong is being corrected and so be it, those building are hazards. I'm sure that is a provision for emergenc exits, elevators, etc but someone let the owners take corners - I'm sure a corrupt official , so I have no pity, mbomoa zote, we are so complacent!
FYI, l was one of those…
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In reply to Waoh we can't please Kenyans… by formerlyguest2 (not verified)
FYI, l was one of those Kenyans that were enthusiastic about these demolitions, hailing the government, until l watched Atul Shah’s (owner of Ukay mall) story. He had all licenses needed to put up that structure, so are the owners of these “tall residential” buildings. The people that licensed them are the same people destroying their buildings. Everyone wants impunity fought, but in the right way. These NEMA officials who cleared the constructions of these buildings should be in jail too.
Just asking, what…
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In reply to Waoh we can't please Kenyans… by formerlyguest2 (not verified)
Just asking, what emergencies would warrant construction of elevators in Eastland’s buildings? In case of fire, you cannot use elevators, in case of a building collapsing, you cannot use elevators. When you need to use it to transport a sick person from 7th floor to ground floor, there is power rationing and therefore...........
I guess elevators are…
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In reply to Just asking, what… by Wee (not verified)
I guess elevators are useless, wonder why they have them or invented, I think its called accessibility but I guess Kenyans are hardcores and their lives should remain harder after all exercise!
@wee I guess you would like…
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In reply to Just asking, what… by Wee (not verified)
@wee I guess you would like to live in a 5 storey building without elevators. To answer you question, here is an analogy: What is the need to traveling in a matatu knowing you may die when the speeding matatu flips over? To avoid dying in this case, walk from Nairobi to Kisumu and you will be safe. Oh, you will be safe assuming another vehicle does not run you down, you don't run into some crooks who clobber you to death or some animal does not help itself on you! You get my point? Are you assuming there will be fire all the time?
Agree....
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In reply to @wee I guess you would like… by WatuHawatosheki (not verified)
Agree....
Good and Eye opening reason.
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In reply to Just asking, what… by Wee (not verified)
Good and Eye opening reason.
@ Foemerly Guest 2 you are…
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In reply to Waoh we can't please Kenyans… by formerlyguest2 (not verified)
@ Foemerly Guest 2 you are correct.How many lives have we lost due to faulty structures and shoddy engineering plus corruption.Those that are unhappy should look at it as their loved ones being protected.The government has a duty to protect all wananchi especially from unscrupulous individuals. This destruction is long over due.No relenting.People will later thank gava.Ihope that this wind of change will be sustained despite the opposition.
They can Remodel the…
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In reply to This demolition business is… by Nyina wa Raila (not verified)
They can Remodel the Buildings (by Simply, Carefully, and Vertically "penetrating" them with Elevators). Demolishing them shoulhd be Last resort.
Seriously? Whats wrong with…
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Seriously? Whats wrong with walking up the stairs and doing something for your health??? Jokes aside. You can not demolish a building for having no lift can you??? Only in Kenya
This is the law through the…
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In reply to Seriously? Whats wrong with… by Cecilia (not verified)
This is the law through the wrong messager/executor.It was not passed by Sonko.The law came with colonialists who happed to come with modern construction and CORRUPTION.But a lawyer is needed to interpret this law about all buildings with more than three floors must have lifts.
Yenyewe? How Fat or Fatter,…
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In reply to Seriously? Whats wrong with… by Cecilia (not verified)
Yenyewe? How Fat or Fatter, Big or Bigger, or Pig or Pigger is Sonko getting (not to Climb stairs)? He needs to Climb stairs to Lose that Weight of his!
Sonko those buildings…
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Sonko those buildings without elevators can be modified to add elevators. They do not need to go down if the elevator is the only issue they have
Mike Mbuvi Sonko is like a…
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Mike Mbuvi Sonko is like a pig with golden teeth dancing in sewer. How do you start demolishing without revoking all acquired bogus title deed from city hall, Few months along the line they will come out and get approved by city planners as genuine.
These demolitions will soon…
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These demolitions will soon get out of hand and end up getting challenged in courts and some will be stopped. Sonko can't just make unilateral decisions all the time. I mean some buildings on grabbed land, near rivers etc just have to go. Work with the landlords of those buildings located in the right place. We need sanity here and balance.
Those of us old enough…
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Those of us old enough recall Wangari Maathai fighting the development of the area where Ukay and Westgate currently stand. At the time, the Asian community in Kenya was quite close to the Moi regime and paid their way to act as they please. Ukay experiences serious flooding even after modest level rains. Buildings on riparian lands have to go. I totally oppose bringing down safe buildings simply because they have no elevators. They can be modified to accomodate one and made more fire safe as well. As the Chinese saying goes, never use a hatchet to kill a fly on a friend's face!
So no you should also check…
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So no you should also check into fake bulding materials like cement. I am a victim of being sold kwale dust as cement. This worries every time I hear that a building has corrupt. Greedy is a mostly Kenyan disease where some people don't care of others lives. Hardware business tycoon should be also dealt with.
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