The government has identified 41 buildings near Wilson Airport that could face demolition after a survey found they encroach on protected flight paths.
Appearing before the Senate Standing Committee on Roads, Transportation, and Housing on June 26, Principal Secretary for Aviation and Aerospace Development Teresia Mbaika said the affected structures were identified during a 2024 survey conducted within a six-kilometer radius of Wilson Airport.
According to Mbaika, the survey found that the buildings either exceed the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority’s (KCAA) obstacle limitation surface requirements or were constructed without the regulator’s approval.
She told senators that the affected buildings are located in high-risk areas, including South C, Lang’ata, and Nairobi West, where rapid urban development has increasingly encroached on the airport’s protected airspace.
Wilson Airport Airspace Encroachment Puts 41 Buildings at Risk
Mbaika said the government faces a difficult policy decision about how to safeguard Wilson Airport’s flight paths, with options including demolishing the affected structures or rerouting aircraft over Nairobi National Park.
Some of the buildings, she said, may have been approved by other government agencies, including Nairobi County, creating a complex legal and policy challenge that requires a coordinated government response.
“These people, maybe if you go to them, some of them have approvals by the different agencies that approve, including Nairobi County, KCA-approved heights, then we must make a decision on this matter,” the PS said.
Also Read: State of Wilson Airport Infrastructure Sparks Safety Concerns
Why the Govt Mulls on Demolishing Buildings
Earlier this year, the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) warned that illegal high-rise developments around the airport were increasingly threatening flight safety and forcing changes to aircraft operations.
Former KCAA Director General Emile Arao previously told a parliamentary committee that an audit had identified more than 40 buildings exceeding approved height limits around the airport.
Arao noted that the encroachment had already influenced how pilots operate at Wilson Airport, with many preferring to take off from Runway 14 to avoid densely built-up areas such as South C, even though doing so directs aircraft over Nairobi National Park.
Also Read: Senator Among 39 People Who Narrowly Escaped Wilson Airport Plane Incident
He also revealed that plans to extend one of Wilson Airport’s runways had been complicated by a land ownership dispute after an individual claimed ownership of land earmarked for the expansion.
“Many people like taking off on Runway 14 because of the construction in South C. There’s a lot of construction there, so many pilots and operators prefer to take off on Runway 14, which now you get airborne and you’re over the park,” he explained.
However, the lawmakers questioned the enforcement of aviation regulations, asking how developers were allowed to construct buildings that exceeded approved height limits.
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