Erdemann Property Limited built Greatwall Apartments, a vast ugly concrete jungle in Athi River along Mombasa road to attract Nairobi residents who seek to buy and live in their houses.
The place is full of concrete and mortar; no gardens exist despite the name gardens in the title of the estate.
The Chinese owner Zeyun Yang, who is worth billions has become too powerful that he disregards Kenya’s institutions directive against interfering with the environment by building a new, third phase of the estate.
In late last year, Environmental Tribunal stopped Erdemann from going on with construction in Athi River, the company moved to court to challenge the September 6th 2019 decision stating that the tribunal had erred in its decision to stop the billion shilling Great Wall Garden Estate Phase 3.
They had argued in November that they are bound to lose Ksh.140 million in two week, and sack some 2000 youths, should the order not be suspended.
Despite all these, the order wasn’t suspended.
Impunity
The firm went on to construct its third phase of housing.
Residents and concerned citizens say that the management is very rude and seemed to have pocketed some senior officials in government.
One said, “This Chinese owned company has been repeatedly told not to build Greatwall Phase 3 in Athi River
But even after being warned by the Environment Authority. They still went ahead and flouted the rules and built
On being approached the Chinese have been very rude to those who ask and even to their workers”.
Erdemann was barred from challenging the applicability of the provisions of section 129 (4) of the Environment Management Coordination Act.
Lack of water
Residents of Greatwall apartments have often accused the management of neglecting them, sellig them substandard service.
Many of them, going by online sources, mostly complain about the lack of water, others about the exorbitant water bills.
Erdemann seems to have entered into the fray of foreign multinationals that employ kickbacks and other bad practices to do business in Kenya.
The firm is said to have bribed to win the tender for the Lake Basin Mall in Kisumu according to investigations by Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC): Erdemann Properties inflated costs for the Mall’s construction in order to cater for kickbacks.
Water from a tap in Greatwall gardens athi river pic.twitter.com/Q7u3LM2MPB
— GLORIA (@1618c1d257aa46d) October 7, 2019
@erdemann_ke there is a growing list of Concerns from Residents living at the Greatwall Garden apartments At Athi River . We need some Clarity On the issue Of Water bills spiralling out of control, some of which have been presented to houses who DO NOT have tenants yet.
— Heno_Jatell (@Heno_Jatell) January 30, 2018
