President William Ruto has broken his silence on highrise buildings in Eastleigh that are allegedly threatening operations at the Moi Air Base.
Speaking on Saturday, Ruto said he will engage the leadership of the County Government of Nairobi to ensure the Air Base does not lose its position.
"Let me also commit that in discussions with the County of Nairobi, we will make sure that this facility does not lose its premier position," the President said.
He went on to say that he will also make sure the county enforces the set rules on buildings constructed beyond the set heights by law.
Ruto insisted that developers must keep to the agreed heights with the Kenya Air Force and the KDF.
"All buildings that have been built beyond the heights that are provided for in law, we will work with Nairobi City County to make sure that all developers keep to the standards that we have agreed with the Kenya Air Force and Kenya Defence Forces," Ruto said.
He made the remarks when he presided over the 60th Anniversary of the Kenya Air Force at the Moi Airbase in Eastleigh, Nairobi.
The President's remarks come months after Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja announced that new buildings in parts of Nairobi, including Eastleigh Air Base, can now go up to 25 floors, following the easing of height restrictions.
Sakaja noted that the government's decision to scrap height restrictions paved the way for taller buildings in some areas of the capital city.
In April, Governor Sakaja said he spoke with President Ruto on the expansion of Nairobi in terms of the height of various buildings.
He said they talked after the county boss pointed out that the Eastleigh area "chocked up" and had traffic delays, due to height restrictions occasioned by the presence of Moi Air Base.
"The reason we have that airbase was to evacuate VVIPs or the President in case of an emergency. I had told him if he tried to use that route, he will get stuck because the place is chocked," Sakaja said.
Sakaja said it was then that he asked Ruto to review the restrictions and he engaged experts on the matter.
