Our objections to the construction of a petrol station on LR. No. 209/7233 Olenguruone Road, Kileleshwa have been repeatedly ignored by authorities. In spite of numerous objections sent to NEMA, County Government of Nairobi and the Energy Regulatory Commission, these institutions have gone ahead and issued operating licenses to the petrol station developer.
The developer, by the name LEMPIRAS, wants to construct a petrol station within a residential area. It is clear that due process was not followed and citizen participation was completely disregarded in this process.
- The land on which the petrol station is being built is a small piece of land, within a residential area (sandwiched between two apartments). Why is it that the environmental impact assessment report for this project is not available online, as required under the NEMA Act? Also, no change of user notice was ever served upon the neighbourhood residents, neither was a sign posted on the plot for the minimum required period of two weeks.
- Both Vasudev Apartments and Highlands Garden Apartment, that border the proposed petrol station, have sunk a borehole within their boundary, which is situated less than 20 meters from where the underground storage tanks would be located in the intended petrol station.
- The proximity of the intended petrol station to the residential premises exposes residents to high amounts of toxic fumes and the risk of fire.
- Increased risks of traffic accidents on Olenguruone Road as the petrol station is being built next to a roundabout along Olenguruone Road. The road design for this area has allocated access to the plot of the intended petrol station on Siaya Road. There is no other entry access on this stretch of Olenguruone, due to traffic consideration. The approval of entry access on this road is a deliberate circumvention of the road design.
- A sham environmental impact assessment meeting with stakeholders was undertaken by NEMA, where 2 of their representatives met with residents on 31st January 2019. All residents strongly opposed the proposed development but it was apparent that NEMA had already supported the construction of the petrol station, instead of being neutral arbiter. NEMA never got back to the residents to inform them of the reasons they had rejected their objections and they proceeded to issue the developer with a license.
So far, we have
- Written objection letters to Kenya Urban Roads Authority
- Filed an objection letter with NEMA,
- Submitted an objection letter to the Nairobi County Government,
- Sent an objection letter to the Energy Regulatory Commission
- Delivered a letter from Kileleshwa Ward Neighbourhood Association (KIWANA) to NEMA, asking for an audit of the NEMA approval: NEMA/EIA/PSL/7960,
- Intitiated an online petition, by KIWANA, objecting to the construction of the petrol station and have already gathered about 1,500 signatures, and
- Instructed a lawyer to file a constitutional case challenging the construction of the petrol station and to seek an immediate injunction.
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