City homeowners count losses as houses near power lines demolished

housesKenya Power demolished houses said to be illigally erected near power lines in Nairobi's Buru farm in Njiru, on Tuesday, March 12 2019. [Edwin Khisa/Radio Halisi]

A number of city house owners are counting loses after the destruction of sections of their homes that were built on electrical line reserves.

Kenya Power says the houses are among a huge number of structures unlawfully raised on a 100km-extend hold known as wayleave, extending 5,300km countrywide.

In December 2018, the proprietors of the houses built in Buruburu Farmers Land, Njiru, Mowlem and Saika were issued notification to pull down earmarked structures.
demolished.

Kenya Power Security Services Manager Geoffrey Kigen said the task would extend from Buruburu Farmers Land, Mihang’o to Dandora power substation until every illicit structure were brought down.

“We cleared around 200 structures on Monday. These are structures which are in various stages of completion and on Tuesday we demolished another 400,” he said.

“We started with Buruburu Farmers Land, next will be Mihang’o and all the way up to Dandora Power Substation,” he said.

At Buruburu Farmers Land, a 60 by 40 plot in the location goes for about Sh500,000, and most homeowners will now have to contend with houses whose designs have been altered as a result of the demolitions.

Most of the houses now don’t have walls and parking spaces.

However, further down the power line, most of the houses are in informal settlements and there are worries that hundreds might be soon rendered homeless.

ALSO READ: Embakasi Central MP Gathiru arrested during evictions in Kayole