Omtatah files petition to halt Southlands housing project in Lang'ata over alleged illegalities
Omtatah claims the government is building 17-storey residential blocks on land designated as a road and rail buffer zone, without conducting public participation or the legally required environmental and social impact assessments.
Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah has filed a petition at the Environment and Land Court seeking to halt the ongoing Southlands affordable housing project in Lang’ata, Nairobi, citing alleged legal and environmental violations.
In the petition, filed under a certificate of urgency, Omtatah claims the government is building 17-storey residential blocks—comprising over 15,000 housing units—on land designated as a road and rail buffer zone, without conducting public participation or the legally required environmental and social impact assessments.
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He argues that the project is unlawful from its inception and poses serious risks to residents’ privacy, safety, property values, and the integrity of urban planning.
"The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) has failed in its oversight role, saying it acknowledged the project had not undergone any EIA (environmental impact assessment) but merely "advised" the developers to comply, rather than halting construction", he states in court documents.
Omtatah states that the dust, noise, and debris being dumped against residents' backyard walls have already become unbearable.
He warns that the project could lead to damage to homes, strain existing infrastructure, worsen water scarcity, and heighten insecurity due to a projected surge in population.
He also raises security concerns over the project's proximity to Lang'ata Barracks and Wilson Airport, suggesting that the high-rise buildings could compromise national defence and pose risks to aviation safety.
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