Sakaja Sounds Alarm Over Eastleigh Airbase, Warns of Danger to Residents
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja is getting anxious about the Eastleigh Airbase, warning that if there’s an attack the rapid growth of housing and businesses around it could put thousands of ordinary people at risk.
Sakaja points out that the area has changed beyond recognition since the airbase was first set up, it’s now a dense residential and commercial hub, with homes and shops springing up all around the military facility.
Appearing before the Roads and Construction Committee on Tuesday, October 13th, Sakaja said that the government needs to take a long hard look at whether the airbase is still where it should be given Nairobi’s exploding population.
Sakaja Explains Why Eastleigh Airbase Should Be Relocated
Sakaja reckons Eastleigh Airbase was established at a time when the surrounding area was almost rural.
He says as the neighbourhoods around the base have grown up, new problems have come up that need sorting out.
“Eastleigh Airbase is one place that needs moving, because, let’s be honest, when they first built it, we just didn’t have all these people living around it,” Sakaja said.
The governor says that as more and more people have moved in around the base, the whole question of whether this is a safe location for a military installation just got a whole lot more complicated.
Sakaja calls for a review of the military base’s location, taking into account Nairobi’s future growth.
Sakaja Warns Civilians Could Be at Risk During an Attack
Sakaja is worried that if there’s a security threat the people living close to the military base could end up getting caught in the crossfire.
“With so many people living right next door to the military base, in the event of an attack, it means that people around the base could end up acting as a sort of human shield” he said.
Sakaja notes that military installations are always a target in any attack, alongside communications and the seat of government.
He says he knows that moving an established military base is a tough ask, but that the safety of people living nearby has to come first.
Sakaja’s comments have sparked a debate about how urban growth affects our military installations and whether our cities are safe places to be.
What Ruto Said About Buildings Near Moi Air Base
President William Ruto recently spoke out about a bunch of new developments popping up around Eastleigh’s Moi Air Base back on June 8th this year, during the Kenya Air Force’s 60th birthday bash.
Ruto basically told builders and developers constructing buildings near the air base to make sure they’re not breaking any height rules to prevent disrupting military operations.
His warning highlights just how tricky it is to balance construction and urban development with the need to keep our military bases safe and secure, especially in a busy part of town like Nairobi.
And while Ruto was pretty clear about what he was saying on building heights, Mike Sonko’s now asking a much bigger question, whether the airbase is even in the right location these days.
Ruto’s Military Housing Programme
The government’s also been working on a big plan to give housing to Kenya Defence Forces personnel.
The first stage of the plan is to build 3,069 homes in a bunch of different places around Nairobi, Roysambu, Kwambuzi, Lanet, Gilgil and Mariakani, and then they’re planning to add even more units across the country – over 10,000 more, in fact
The plan is part of a bigger effort to improve housing for service people.
You can read more about all this in a special report: KDF Officers Moving to Their New Home in Roysambu – it’s really worth a look.
Ruto Orders Military to Surrender Land for Affordable Housing
Ruto also told the military to hand over about 70 acres of land in Nairobi for a new housing project that should help people from the crowded Kiambiu informal settlement get a more safe and secure place to live.
This is just one part of the government’s long term plan to sort out housing in our cities.
The order really shows just how complex the relationship is between military land, housing needs and the city’s ever-growing population.
For more on this story, go read this article: Ruto Orders Military to Surrender 70 Acres for Affordable Housing.
ALSO READ : “Huyo Jamaa Ni Mtapeli”: Ruto’s Explosive Message to Uhuru and Opposition
Sakaja Sounds Alarm Over Eastleigh Airbase, Warns of Danger to Residents
