Nairobi News

NewsWhat's Hot

Firm accuses county of favouring its rivals


A company has said it complied with all conditions given by a roads agency in construction of its advertisement gantries on city roads.

Through an affidavit of its regional general manager Mr Chukwuma Nduche, Ikon prints Media Company said claims that they never complied were mere scapegoats to justify illegal demolition of their gantry on Waiyaki Way last year.

“I know that the gantries were supervised by Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) engineers as a consequence of which there was no complaint,” said Mr Nduche.

He added that a letter purporting to stop erecting of the gantries allegedly on the grounds of lack of supervision was prompted by their competitors who were attempting to stop their entry into the market.

The county government of Nairobi has denied issuance of approval to the company to advertise on gantries even if the construction was sanctioned by KeNHA.

Interim county secretary Ms Lillian Ndegwa in an affidavit filed in court also said Ikon Prints Media Company Limited had not disclosed any compliance with laws and local authority policies that outline procedures seeking and obtaining approval for outdoor advertisement.

Ikon Prints Media Company obtained an injunction restraining KeNHA and the Nairobi city county government from removing its advertisement gantries on roads.

Among the gantries which the respondents has been restrained from removing include those on Mombasa Road and Uhuru Highway near the University of Nairobi tunnel.

“It is not true that the county government was involved in the raid and felling of the petitioners’ gantries on Waiyaki way,” said Ms Ndegwa.

She also said the then city council did not have powers to approve construction of gantries and that neither the county government had.

KeNHA said despite permission to the advertising company to erect gantries on various roads within Nairobi, it was subject to particular conditions.

Hearing was fixed for February 18.