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| the new Green Field Terminal |
.....are you still trying find some avenues of stealing from these mega project?......
Just
a day after President Uhuru Kenyatta launched the multi-billion new
terminal project at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Nairobi
Governor Evans Kidero stopped it saying the construction plans had not
been approved.
The new Greenfield Terminal is expected to cost Sh56 billion. Kidero also threatened to stop construction of the nearly completed Terminal Four as the plans had not received approval from City Hall as demanded by the County laws and the Physical Planning Act 286.
In a terse letter to Infrastructure and Transport Secretary Michael Kamau and the Kenya Airports Authority acting chief executive Lucy Mbugua, Kidero asked KAA to stop the project until they received approval for all the relevant plans including those for safety and health.
“The Nairobi City County has established that your organization (KAA) has not sought for approval of various developments going on within the airports vicinity pursuant to the requirements of the Physical Planning Act Cap286 and other related statutes.
“Developments within the jurisdiction of Nairobi City County by all investors have to seek prior development permission before they are commenced. Accordingly, this is to advise you to request your consultants to immediately submit the Master Layout Plan, architectural and structural plans of the airport facility on Terminal 4 and the proposed Greenfield Terminal expansion of the airport retrospect determination and approval,” says the letter signed by County Secretary Lillian Ndegwa.
The only government agency whose building plans have been exempted by City Hall, according to Kidero, is the Kenya Defence Forces on security qualifications.
Two Chinese contractors, Anhui Construction Engineering Group and China National Aero-Technology International Engineering Corporation are already on the proposed site of the Greenfield terminal.
The two companies are building the Greenfield Terminal in collaboration with London-based Pascall and Watson Architects under the supervision of Louis Berger Group headquartered in Washington DC.
Describing the two projects as illegal, Kidero accused Kenya Airports Authority using "short cuts in the expansion of the airport". “City Hall always consults the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority whenever the building plan of any nature around the airport that has been submitted in our internal systems so that we do not approve a construction that will be on the flight path.
"The KCAA has also on several occasions urged City Hall not to build the new Integrated Solid Waste Management dumping site in Ruai, which we need urgently as Dandora is full, as this will breed birds, which is a serious security threat to aircraft,” Kidero said.
This is the first time that City Hall is exerting its authority as far as government projects are concerned. Previously, such projects only required authorization from the Ministry of Public Works which gave the necessary approvals without necessarily consulting with the local authorities.
The Institute of Surveyors of Kenya chairman Collins Kowuor commended the action and criticized KAA for not seeking the relevant approvals from City Hall. "City Hall has every right to pull down the building just like any other illegal buildings in the city," Kowuor said.
But Transport Principal Secretary, Nduva Muli defended KAA, claiming it was acting in accordance with Section 12 of the KAA Act which gives it the powers to do constructions in any aerodrome area.
"JKIA is a gazetted area and the KAA Act gives them powers to approve buildings within the aerodrome area. The Act says that without prejudice to the generalities of Section 1 and 2, the airports authority has powers to construct and approve buildings within the airport area," Nduva says. Kidero is however adamant that the KAA is in breach of the law and insists it must get the necessary approvals for the proposed constructions.
He said there cannot be two laws to govern construction in the city.The county laws he is applying are anchored in Schedule 4 of the constitution which deals with the distribution of functions between national and county governments.
Under the schedule, the national government's function under transport and communication include the responsibility of the construction and operation of civil aviation.
The county government is however responsible for county transport including vehicular and pedestrian transport, planning and development including statistics, land survey and mapping, boundaries and fencing, housing and electricity, gas reticulation and energy regulation.
During the groundbreaking ceremony attended by Deputy President William Ruto and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, Uhuru directed that the execution of the construction be fast tracked.
On completion in 2017, Greenfield Terminal will comprise 50 international check-in counters, eight air bridges for aircraft to dock, 45 aircraft parking stands on the linked apron space and an additional runway.
The new Greenfield Terminal is expected to cost Sh56 billion. Kidero also threatened to stop construction of the nearly completed Terminal Four as the plans had not received approval from City Hall as demanded by the County laws and the Physical Planning Act 286.
In a terse letter to Infrastructure and Transport Secretary Michael Kamau and the Kenya Airports Authority acting chief executive Lucy Mbugua, Kidero asked KAA to stop the project until they received approval for all the relevant plans including those for safety and health.
“The Nairobi City County has established that your organization (KAA) has not sought for approval of various developments going on within the airports vicinity pursuant to the requirements of the Physical Planning Act Cap286 and other related statutes.
“Developments within the jurisdiction of Nairobi City County by all investors have to seek prior development permission before they are commenced. Accordingly, this is to advise you to request your consultants to immediately submit the Master Layout Plan, architectural and structural plans of the airport facility on Terminal 4 and the proposed Greenfield Terminal expansion of the airport retrospect determination and approval,” says the letter signed by County Secretary Lillian Ndegwa.
The only government agency whose building plans have been exempted by City Hall, according to Kidero, is the Kenya Defence Forces on security qualifications.
Two Chinese contractors, Anhui Construction Engineering Group and China National Aero-Technology International Engineering Corporation are already on the proposed site of the Greenfield terminal.
The two companies are building the Greenfield Terminal in collaboration with London-based Pascall and Watson Architects under the supervision of Louis Berger Group headquartered in Washington DC.
Describing the two projects as illegal, Kidero accused Kenya Airports Authority using "short cuts in the expansion of the airport". “City Hall always consults the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority whenever the building plan of any nature around the airport that has been submitted in our internal systems so that we do not approve a construction that will be on the flight path.
"The KCAA has also on several occasions urged City Hall not to build the new Integrated Solid Waste Management dumping site in Ruai, which we need urgently as Dandora is full, as this will breed birds, which is a serious security threat to aircraft,” Kidero said.
This is the first time that City Hall is exerting its authority as far as government projects are concerned. Previously, such projects only required authorization from the Ministry of Public Works which gave the necessary approvals without necessarily consulting with the local authorities.
The Institute of Surveyors of Kenya chairman Collins Kowuor commended the action and criticized KAA for not seeking the relevant approvals from City Hall. "City Hall has every right to pull down the building just like any other illegal buildings in the city," Kowuor said.
But Transport Principal Secretary, Nduva Muli defended KAA, claiming it was acting in accordance with Section 12 of the KAA Act which gives it the powers to do constructions in any aerodrome area.
"JKIA is a gazetted area and the KAA Act gives them powers to approve buildings within the aerodrome area. The Act says that without prejudice to the generalities of Section 1 and 2, the airports authority has powers to construct and approve buildings within the airport area," Nduva says. Kidero is however adamant that the KAA is in breach of the law and insists it must get the necessary approvals for the proposed constructions.
He said there cannot be two laws to govern construction in the city.The county laws he is applying are anchored in Schedule 4 of the constitution which deals with the distribution of functions between national and county governments.
Under the schedule, the national government's function under transport and communication include the responsibility of the construction and operation of civil aviation.
The county government is however responsible for county transport including vehicular and pedestrian transport, planning and development including statistics, land survey and mapping, boundaries and fencing, housing and electricity, gas reticulation and energy regulation.
During the groundbreaking ceremony attended by Deputy President William Ruto and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, Uhuru directed that the execution of the construction be fast tracked.
On completion in 2017, Greenfield Terminal will comprise 50 international check-in counters, eight air bridges for aircraft to dock, 45 aircraft parking stands on the linked apron space and an additional runway.
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