Outrage over Gov't plan to alter Wilson Airport flight paths instead of demolishing illegal buildings

The government is facing accusations of applying double standards after revealing it is considering changing flight paths around Wilson Airport instead of demolishing dozens of buildings that have encroached on protected airspace.

The proposal follows a government survey that identified more than 40 buildings breaching aviation height restrictions, prompting Senators to question why authorities appear willing to accommodate the developments when informal settlements have previously been demolished for similar planning violations.

After the government disclosed that it is exploring alternatives to demolishing dozens of buildings that have encroached into protected airspace around Wilson Airport, the question that dominated a Senate committee hearing on Friday was: "Should aircraft change course to accommodate buildings that encroach into controlled airspace, or should the buildings come down?"

Appearing before the Senate Roads and Transport Committee, Aviation & Aerospace Development Principal Secretary Teresiah Mbaika said many of the developments have existed for years, making demolition a complex undertaking.

"What is the easier route to deal with the matter? Is it to bring down all the buildings which are on that flight path, or is it coming up with a plan that works for us? Because these people, maybe if you go to them, some of them have approvals by the different agencies which approve, including Nairobi County," said PS Mbaika.

The proposal comes after an obstruction survey conducted between October and November 2024 found that 41 out of 134 buildings assessed within a six-kilometre radius of Wilson Airport exceeded the permitted height limits.

The report warns that the buildings pose a serious risk to passenger safety during aircraft take-off and landing at Wilson Airport.

Senators now want to know why the government appears reluctant to demolish the commercial buildings.

"Don't you think that the best thing is to bring down these buildings so that people don't repeat the same mistakes? So are we always going to look for corners? If a road is supposed to take a direct route, will we take corner B because someone built where the road is supposed to pass?" Nominated Senator Peris Tobiko asked.

Kitui County Senator Enoch Wambua added, "A few months ago, we dealt with demolitions in the city, some of them not very far away from Wilson Airport, of shanties along a riverbed. And those are people's investments. But we brought them down. What message will we be sending to Kenyans? If your investment is Ksh.10,000, Ksh. 15,000 or Ksh.20,000 maximum, we will bring it down without even reference to you. But if there is a building that contravenes the same law, and you have put in a billion shillings, we can excuse you?"

The affected buildings are concentrated in South C, Nairobi West and along the Lang'ata Road corridor, where rapid vertical development has steadily encroached into protected airspace reserved for aircraft operations.

Among those flagged is a Parliamentary Service Commission building. While the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority approved a maximum height of 21 metres, the Centre for Parliamentary Studies rises to approximately 27 metres.

Despite the findings, the government says demolition may not be the only solution.

"There is room to work on a runway facing the other side, which is the national park, and there is land for that matter which is also government-owned by the University of Nairobi," stated the PS.

For many Kenyans, illegal encroachments often end with the arrival of a bulldozer.

But as the government weighs its options over the 41 commercial buildings that breach protected airspace around Wilson Airport, it appears this time, a compromise may be on the table.