The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) has called upon the public to provide input on three significant high-rise developments planned for Nairobi and Mombasa, allowing Kenyans 30 days to submit their views before any approvals are considered.
The high-rise apartments, announced through separate Gazette notices, are slated for Kileleshwa and Kilimani areas in Nairobi, as well as Nyali in Mombasa County.
“The National Environment Management Authority invites members of the public to submit oral or written comments within thirty (30) days from the date of this publication to the Director-General, NEMA, to assist the Authority in the decision making process regarding this project,” stated NEMA.
Through the same notices, NEMA published Environmental Impact Assessment Study Reports for each of the three developments, a legal requirement under the Environmental Management and Co-ordination Act, Cap 387, that must be fulfilled before any large-scale construction project can receive approval.
In Kileleshwa, NEMA highlighted a 24-story residential building along Gatundu Road, featuring three basement parking levels and a mezzanine floor with a swimming pool, yoga space, play area, shops, and offices.
That single tower along Gatundu Road would accommodate 448 apartments, consisting of 190 one-bedroom units, 168 two-bedroom units, and 90 three-bedroom units, making it one of the largest standalone residential proposals in the vicinity.
Meanwhile, in Kilimani, a developer is planning a 23-story mixed-use development along Chania Avenue and the Ring Road, featuring 483 serviced-apartment units along with office space, ground-floor shops, and three levels of basement parking.
The Kilimani project includes 414 one-bedroom units and 69 two-bedroom units, and its large scale would substantially transform one of Nairobi’s busiest and most desirable residential areas.
On the other hand, at the coast, another developer is proposing a 13-story complex in Nyali, Mombasa, offering 208 apartments spread across a basement, 13 upper floors, and a rooftop terrace, with two swimming pools and a beach club facility included.
Across all three sites, NEMA identified recurring environmental concerns, including soil erosion, loss of vegetation, air and noise pollution during construction, increased water demand, rising waste generation, and additional pressure on the surrounding road networks.
The impact of soil erosion in NEMA’s assessment is of particular significance because the Institution of Engineers of Kenya released a critical report on the condition of buildings in the country, stating that…
Meanwhile, Hydrogeologist and Program Officer for Science (Water Division) at the UNESCO Regional Office for Eastern Africa, Dr Florence Jerotich Tanui, raised concerns about the rapid and largely unregulated drilling of boreholes across Nairobi, connecting the practice to ground instability and potential building collapses.
With this in mind, what NEMA is emphasizing is for engineers and surveyors to check the strength and stability of the ground before starting construction, a fundamental recommendation that has largely been disregarded, which has resulted in… and deaths as well.