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County chiefs kick up storm over JKIA expansion

In a letter to KAA, the County Secretary says that developments within the jurisdiction of the Nairobi City County by all investors have to seek prior development permission before they commence construction/FILE

In a letter to KAA, the County Secretary says that developments within the jurisdiction of the Nairobi City County by all investors have to seek prior development permission before they commence construction/FILE

NAIROBI, Kenya Dec 4 – The Nairobi County Government is accusing the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) of failing to seek approval for construction works at JKIA, barely a day after President Uhuru Kenyatta launched construction of the Greenfield Terminal project.

In a letter to KAA, the County Secretary Lilian Ndegwa says that developments within the jurisdiction of the Nairobi City County by all investors have to seek prior development permission before they commence construction.

“The Nairobi City County has established that your organisation has not sought for approval of various developments going on within the airport’s vicinity pursuant to the requirement of the physical Planning Acts Cap 286 and other related statutes,” the letter states.

The Nairobi County Government has now asked KAA to immediately submit the plans for the expansion.

“We advise you to request your consultants to immediately submit the master layout plan, architectural and structural plans for the extension of the airport facility on Terminal 4 and the proposed Greenfield expansion for retrospect determination and approval,” the letter states.

On Tuesday, President Uhuru Kenyatta commissioned the construction of new Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) terminal with a capacity of 20 million passengers annually.

The Sh55.5 billion terminal is part of the modernisation programme by KAA to ensure the airport becomes world class.

President Kenyatta said that the intention is to make JKIA the most convenient, comfortable and secure airport in Africa and he urged KAA to finish the project on time (by 2017).

Works also to redesign Unit 1, 2 and 3 are also underway after APA insurance on Monday paid Sh500 million to KAA as part of the claim settlement following the fire at the JKIA that destroyed the international arrivals terminal in August.

KAA Acting Managing Director Lucy Mbugua said on Monday that the compensation will help in reconstruction of the destroyed international arrivals terminal which will begin immediately.

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“This money we get today will help us with the construction of the new arrival, our engineers had condemned the building and we were only waiting for the insurer to confirm so that we can write it off and we can confidently say that the building will come down,” she said.

She says the building will be brought down immediately and Unit 1, 2 and 3 will be redesigned and as well as reconstruction of a new arrival.

“We already have the plans and designs for reconstruction of the Unit 1, 2 and 3 and the new arrival but construction will not start until new terminal four is operational and we are expecting by January it must be operational,” she said.

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