Residents of Varsityville in Ruiru are a distressed lot after their homes were exposed to flooding on Thursday morning after Uhuru Dam broke its banks following the heavy rains being experienced in most parts of the country.
The residents through their attorney are pointing the finger at the developers of Northlands City owned by the Kenyatta Family saying that “a containment wall” erected by the first family during the city’s construction has blocked all drainage channels that previously eased flood water into its natural course.
In a letter to Brookside Dairy limited which is also owned by the Kenyattas, Francis Kiarie, the lawyer representing the residents wants the developers to remove the containment wall that poses great danger to the residents.
“We have noted with concern that the dam in your property neighboring our estate has been expanding of late. Upon inspection during a site visit with your Chairman Collins Kowour and our Chairman Major (Rtd) John N Wanjagi, it was noted that you had actually increased the height of the wall at the spillway. This is without any doubt the cause of the rise in the dam water level,” reads the letter
Kiarie also wants urgently lower the spillway level.
According to Kiarie, he had expressed serious reservations regarding the erection of the containment wall in earlier meetings Northlands’ developers but the latter party stated that the wall was meant to “prevent the water from flowing into Varsityville”.
Kiarie further warns that he will institute legal action against the Kenyattas in the event of displacement of families and destruction of property
Approximately 10 houses have been affected by the floods with residents now fearing for the worst considering that the people they are up against are the most powerful family in the country.
Worth Ksh500 billion, Northlands City sits on an 11,000 acre piece of land located at Kahawa Sukari on Thika Superhighway.
The proposed development will consist of residential neighborhoods, recreation facilities, a stadium, urban commercial centers, industrial estates, urban farms, schools, civic buildings and hotels.
The managers of the estate have already started selling parcels of land to investors with an acre going for Ksh40 million.
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