Controversial Sh3billion parliament training college in Karen implicate DG Nyandiere, Chinese contractor

The Director General of the Parliamentary Joint Services Clement Nyandiere and a Chinese contractor, China Jiangxi Corporation for International Economic and Technical Cooperation are on the spot over the controversial construction of the Sh3billion Centre for Parliamentary Studies and Training in Karen, Nairobi.

Investigations by The Informer have established that Nyandiere’s office, under whose docket the contentious project falls allegedly hired non-residents or used details of non-existent residents for purported public participation meeting to authorise construction of the 13 storey building within the Karen neighbourhood.

The multi-storey with two basements building is being constructed along Lang’ata South Road on L.R No. 28172.

Further, insiders at the Nairobi County government have poked holes on the procedure to obtain approvals from the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) and the defunct Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) terming it irregular.

Besides Nyandiere, others adversely mentioned as having facilitated irregular approval of the controversial development include a lady seconded to the defunct NMS and her alleged godfather domiciled under the State Department of Housing.

Also, vide correspondence dated April 28, 2022 addressed to the former Director General of the defunct NMS Mohamed Badi, the Karen and Langata District Association (KLDA) objected to the change of use of L.R No. 28172 citing the area as a low density area and violation of zoning laws which demarcates the area as an exclusively zoned area for residential buildings.

“The Karen Lang’ata District Association hereby reports on the use of non-residents in a purported public participation meeting on the development of a 13 storey building in our neighbourhood. The date of the said meeting is not known to us and neither were we informed or invited.”

They added: “The said participants have been found to be non-existent while telephone numbers provided are not for the so-called participants. Some have been repeated.” A complaint letter dated June 16, 2022 addressed to Officer Commanding Station at Hardy Police Station signed by Duncan Munyua on behalf of KLDA Development Committee reads in part.

The letter was also copied to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (Eacc) Chief Executive Officer Twalib Mbarak.

The matter has already been filed in court citing the Chinese contractor of contempt of court after defying court orders to discontinue construction works.

The injunction order obtained by KLDA was issued on August 2, 2022 by Justice Lucy Mbugua of the Environment and Lands Court.

The interim order required the contractor to maintain status quo.

It also stated that no further construction was to be carried on the site until further directions are given by the court or pending determination of the suit filed by the residents and the preliminary objection raised against the same.

But the contractor allegedly defied and continued with the project, prompting KLDA to commence contempt of court proceedings.

The association has also written to the Chinese Ambassador in Nairobi asking him to instruct the contractor to adhere to the court order.

“We write to you to bring to your attention that the above-mentioned contractor continues with construction despite court orders. This is a violation of the justice system in Kenya and a blatant disrespect of the court orders issued,” says the Association in the letter.

In its opposition to the project, the association says the development “is a threat to the character of the residential area of Karen and its magnitude and scale affects Karen residents adjacent to this project”.

The training institute is being set up as department at the University of Nairobi (UoN).

The UoN has since renewed its collaboration with the Centre for Parliamentary Studies and Training (CPST) for another five years to offer its fit for purpose and relevant programmes to Parliamentarians and Staff of Parliament.

The programmes include Parliamentary democracy and governance, diplomacy and conflict management.

Through the agreement, Members of Parliament and staff of Parliament will have the opportunity to   acquire diplomas and post graduate qualifications from the University of Nairobi.

However, KLDA argue that that location of the project is primarily residential area and development is controlled using local Physical Development Plan that was approved in 2006.

In addition, they stated that in October 2021 Environment and Lands Court Judge Loice Komingoi ruled that all change of user approvals and building approvals issued within Karen area ought to first obtain approval from the KLDA office.

KLDA is the umbrella residents’ association for the Karen residents and has been taking care of needs of the residents for the past 82 years. It caters for security, development control, and environmental matters among other needs of the residents.