Nairobi County governor Mike Sonko has made public circumstances surrounding the construction of AVIC Towers in Westlands.
On Thursday, Sonko halted construction at the site stating that it had encroached on public land.
Here is Sonko's statement.
"We wish to inform the general public especially people residing around parklands, wetlands and Riverside that we have this morning stopped the construction of the AVIC INTERNATIONAL BUILDING along the waiyaki way/ Chiromo road and arrested all the Chinese and Kenyan contactors on site for defying the county planning laws by encroaching on the famous Chiromo close public access which is a feeder road to Chiromo lane which feeds Chiromo road and then waiyaki way.
The said AVIC international have even refused to do a public surrender on the property they acquired as provided for in the county laws.
It is alleged that they paid a substantial under table amount totalling to 2 million dollars equivalent 200,000,000/= in cash to the previous administration as protection fee and we should confirm that with the current staff in the building plans approval department.
Bosses who are still with us. I'm also aware that my officer have also arrested the site manager a Mr. ZHANG ZYENYA whose name has not being included in charge sheet after promising to pay pay a bribe of thousands of dollars in cash to my staff.
Tuko radar yao wacha wakule pesa watajua hawajua. I SWEAR Kuanzia Tito kilonzi head of security compliance, Kathenge head of planning and approvals, arresting officers and the county prosecutor you will all go home by end of today," his statement read.