A private developer is now exposing more than 200 young learners and members of public to, among others, life-threatening diseases after diverting a section of Mathare River so that they can construct and ran a school in the Parklands area of Nairobi.
This is happening even as President William Ruto continues championing for environmental conservation.
Owners of Hikma Baitul Integrated International School have constructed structures including a swimming pool that has resulted in diversion of the neighboring river Mathare from the Parklands side to the riparian area of Muthaiga Estate.
Construction of the school including the swiming pool in an area where there is no public sewer line was never approved by the relevant authoritues.
” Students and staff at the school are now facing real danger and risk of infection of serious diseases including Amoeba, Typhoid and Chokera. Its very weird and funny how a section of Mathare River has been converted to a swimming pool”, says Albert Okeyo, a city environmental activist.
According to a tip off from the area residents and among those who had been mandated to put up the said swimming pool, the river has been rerouted to pave way for the construction of the school’s swimming pool.
“This swimming pool is being constructed by Hikma Baitul Integrated International School on Mathare River who operate from a house at L.R 209/7547-City Park Drive. The river has been diverted to run on the riparian side of Muthaiga estate,” said one of the area residents.
The school is set up between residential houses along Taza Lane. Our investigations during a tour visit at the school shows that there is no any visible playing ground for pupils.
It also operates on a piece of land less than ¼ an acre, the reason for the illegal construction of the swimming pool on Mathare River.
Sources said two levels of buildings have been added with no authority from the County Government, NEMA or National Construction Authority.
Some children aged 10 years and below are now being accommodated as boarders in the school which has no approved learning facilities.
It is believed the license to operate the school was given on the influence of a sitting Nominated Member of Parliament whose father is a relative and a close friend of Nairobi Members of County Assembly Fuad Hussein and his South C bj counterpart Abass Khalif.
A sitting Cabinet Secretary reportedly influenced the decision.
