The construction of Encore Hotel near Nakuru State House has raised questions about its ownership, authorisation and national security oversight.
On Tuesday, MPs were baffled on how the 250-bed capacity hotel, now about 90 per cent complete, was approved and constructed near a sensitive government facility without public disclosures.
Questions about its ownership have pushed the project into the national spotlight, even as MPs ordered a halt to the construction of any high-rise buildings and other encroachments around State House Nakuru.
Lawmakers directed State House Comptroller Katoo ole Metito to have the construction stopped, citing security concerns. The National Assembly’s Administration and Internal Security committee, chaired by Gabriel Tongoyo, said the move aims to protect the integrity of the president’s official residences and offices.
“You must move and stop any construction of multi-storey buildings near State houses and lodges. Such establishments pose security threats,” said Mr Tongoyo during the committee’s sitting.
State House Comptroller Katoo Ole Metito.
Photo credit: Dennis Onsongo | Nation Media Group
MPs also called on Mr Metito to have the boundaries of State House Nakuru clearly demarcated to help the county government regulate building heights, land use, road networks and commercial establishments in the area.
Mr Metito revealed that the government is already in the process of recovering land encroached upon near State houses and lodges across the country.
“We have already recovered 100 acres in Kakamega. Our next focus will be Nakuru and Kisumu. Almost all these State lodges and houses had their land encroached. It is a process we are undertaking one by one. Even the Eldoret property was repossessed from a club,” he said.
MPs expressed alarm over encroachments near State House Nakuru and Kisumu State Lodge, saying that such developments pose serious security threats.
The Nakuru hotel’s ownership was not immediately verifiable, but sources indicated that it belongs to a prominent politician.
This is not the only high-rise building in the area raising concern. A multi-storey building in the Milimani area serving as Governor Susan Kihika’s office also overlooks State House Nakuru.
The upcoming Encore Hotel in Nakuru City. The hotel is being constructed close to State House Nakuru.
Photo credit: Pool
According to the county’s approved city zoning plan, the area surrounding State House Nakuru is classified as a low-to-medium residential zone, allowing for maisonettes and townhouses of up to two floors.
Construction of high-rise buildings near State houses and lodges, military barracks and airports is prohibited by law. Such areas are protected under the Protected Areas Act, which allows the government to restrict development around sensitive installations for security reasons. Restrictions are further reinforced through the Physical Planning Act and local zoning regulations.
Security experts have warned that high-rise developments near State House Nakuru compromise its security.
“The law does not allow construction of such high-rise buildings near any State-protected facility. What is happening in Nakuru is illegal and a national security threat,” said Mr John Karanja, a security expert.
Mr David Kimani, a town planning expert, said that land use and building control falls under the Physical and Land Use Planning Act, implemented by counties.
“State houses, military barracks, police camps and airports fall under a special category of safeguarded or protected areas, where development is heavily regulated to prevent security risks or visual intrusion into sensitive compounds,” he explained.
He indicated that permits for construction in such areas must undergo additional scrutiny involving national security agencies.
“While county governments can process development applications for land near safeguarded areas, final approval must include input or clearance from national security authorities,” Mr Kimani said.
The ongoing renovations at State House, Nairobi in this picture taken on May 3, 2024.
Photo credit: Bonface Bogita | NATION Media Group
Kenya has three State houses—Nairobi, Nakuru and Mombasa—and numerous State lodges, including Sagana, Kericho, Kisumu, Mtito Andei, Rumuruti, Malindi, Kitale, Eldoret, Kakamega and Kisii. These facilities serve as presidential residences, host foreign dignitaries and accommodate government functions. Most are secluded and are protected by security personnel drawn from the General Service Unit.
The Protected Areas Act stipulates that entry to such locations requires permission from the prescribed authority or the Cabinet secretary for Interior, with the prescribed authority being the Inspector-General of Police.
