Ramesh Govino Gorasia, Managing Director and proprietor of Airgate Centre, formerly Tajj Mall, displays the demolition notice served to him outside the mall along Outering road, Nairobi. [Elvis Ogina/Standard]

Property owners in 13 counties risk losing billions of shillings as demolitions of structures encroaching on rivers move to counties.

The affected counties are Nairobi, Kiambu, Murang’a, Baringo, Meru, Garissa, Nakuru, Kilifi, Kisumu, Kakamega, Vihiga, Siaya and Machakos.

For the past two weeks, the demolitions witnessed so far have been in Nairobi City estates under the Nairobi Regeneration programme.

This has seen a number of prime properties in the City demolished.

But a report by the National Land Commission (NLC) has exposed massive land encroachment across the country and recommended demolitions and evictions.

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Poor rating

The report by the NLC’s Directorate of Research gives a poor rating for the current state of riparian areas in counties and calls for urgent measures to define, identify, outline and map them.

If the preliminary findings of the Directorate of Research at NLC are anything to go by, then property developers next to Ngong and Kabuthi rivers and Nairobi and Jamhuri dams are set to lose their investments.

The report has named commercial premises in Ngara, Kware, Mukuru Kayaba, Mukuru Kwa Njenga, Highrise and Mbagathi as among those constructed on riparian land in Nairobi.

More properties are set to go down, with the report indicating that residential structures in Mukuru Kayaba are constructed on Nairobi River’s riparian land while Mukuru Kwa Njenga sits on the Ngong River’s land.

A church and residential buildings have encroached on Nairobi dam while a maize and banana plantation have intruded on the river’s Lan’gata riparian zone.

Ngong River

The report further indicates that Tassia estate and Mukuru Kwa Reuben sit on the Ngong River’s riparian land.

In the neighbouring Kiambu County, NLC found out that the main threat to riparian lands are commercial buildings and sand harvesting which have resulted in drying up of some rivers.

The affected rivers in the county are Nairobi, Gitaru, Gitathuru, Ruirwaka, Gatharaini, Kamiti, Ruiru, Riara, Kiu, Makuyu, Bathi, Gatamaiyu and Komothai.

Others are Thirika, Ndarugu, Mugutha, Theta, Thiririka, Ruabora, Komu, Athi, Chania, Thika, Kariminu, Blackenhurst, Mungu and Ewaso Kedong.

The report shows that the banks of Thiririka River touch a number of buildings.

A house is also coming up on the edge of Thika River and a culvert construction site a few metres away from Kiu River.

Still in Kiambu, a number of commercial buildings stand along Thiririka and Thika rivers while farming, quarry activities and car washing businesses thrive along Blacken Hurst and Mungu rivers.

There is also a culvert construction site and ballast mining along Kiu River.

In Murang’a, there is a quarry mining site next to Gakira River and thriving farms along Thika River at Ndakaini ward. There is also agricultural encroachment at Sagana wetland and along rivers Kaihungu, Irati and Maragwa.

The report also cited sand harvesting businesses along Mathioya River and a bamboo farm along Kahayawe River.

Riparian land has not been spared in Nakuru where a number of buildings, a quarry and several farms at Njokerio and Tree Top have encroached on Njoro River.

Fenced off

Piece of land have been fenced off on the shores of Lake Elementaita with proposed structural developments.

There are also a number of recreational facilities and tourist hotels sitting on the Naivasha’s wetland where a channel has also been constructed to divert lake water to farmlands.

In Meru, eucalyptus farms stand next to Angara riparian area while human settlements and a dumping site have encroached on River Karurimo. Farmers and mechanics have encroached on River Kanyuru’s riparian zone while quarrying and farming activities continue at Tabata area next to Mariara River.

In Baringo, several car wash businesses and tea vending activities have encroached on Mogotio River.

Human settlements and farms have encroached on the Tana at Mololo town threatening the existence of one of Kenya’s largest rivers.

In Machakos, eucalyptus and livestock farms as well as sand harvesting has hit Chai and Maruba riparian zone. There is also encroaching on public land in the county’s urban centres.

In Kilifi, farming activities are threatening Mbogolo River while homesteads and salt mining have encroached on Kadzuhoni River.

River Yala in Kakamega is fighting for space with buildings as well as farming and quarrying activities.

In Kisumu, NLC says Lake Victoria and river Nyando are fast losing their wetlands to human settlements.

Human settlements and farming have also encroached on Wandede River in Vihiga.