KCAA AND NEMA EARN HIGH COURT’S WRATH FOR IGNORING SUITS
A judge of the High Court in Nairobi yesterday issued summons, a step short of an arrest warrant, against the top managers of the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority and NEMA, for persistently failing to respond to cases brought against them by residents, who were threatened with destruction of their homes near the Eastleigh Air Force Base in Nairobi. Residents, including the owner of a 5 storey hotel, went to court seeking protection against imminent demolition when officials told them to be ready for demolition, but for over a year have NEMA and KCAA failed to respond to the cases. Now given what is understood to be the last chance, before judgement may be entered for the plaintiffs, they need to show court what compelling reasons they may have to reduce multi billion shillings worth of homes and property to be turned to rubble, when in the first place the buildings were allowed to go up, with due permits, and not filed any objections on whatever grounds at that time. A source in Nairobi well acquainted with aviation told this correspondent overnight that the ‘security reasons’ advanced by a spokesperson of the Kenya Air Force, were generally known to be hogwash and without foundation, as it has become the most misused argument trying to justify anything, government officials gone bonkers have schemed up.
However, history in Kenya also tells the story of injunctions issued being blatantly ignored, as was the case when the Kenya Airport Authority earlier this year caused billions of shillings in damages after razing homes to the ground in a cloak and dagger night attack, subsequently resulting in claims for huge damages incurred. Legal cases were brought by owners who claimed to have had substantive titles for the land they built on, besides contempt of court charges against the officials involved in the massive destruction of property in the vicinity of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. Watch this space to find out how this saga is going to end, with tears for the owners of the buildings in question or with egg all over the faces of officials gone bureaucrazy.
