City estate residents seek to block telco masts

Residents of Nairobi’s Nyayo Embakasi Estate want the High Court to quash a decision by the environment regulator allowing the installation of six telecommunication masts in their neighbourhood.

In an application filed before the Land and Environment Court, the Nyayo Embakasi Residents Association (Nera) argues that the installation of a Base Transceiver Station poses a health risk from radiation and will cause depreciation of their properties due to an “automatic mass movement”.

“The Base Transceiver Station being set up by the respondents is hazardous since it emits radiation well known to be a major cause of cancer, neurone behavioural symptoms, sleeping problems, cognitive performance and infertility among men,” say the residents.

They want construction approvals by the National Environment Management Authority (Nema), the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) and the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority quashed. The residents also want Eton Towers (Kenya Towers), the managers of the estate and Lidcom restrained from continuing with the installation.

They argue the installation of Base Transceiver Station is in breach of the internationally recommended distance of 500 metres between masts and homes.

In court papers, the residents say the masts are 11 metres from their houses and some near water tanks, exposing them to radiation risks.

A report attached to the documents filed in court shows that the CA noted that the equipment to be installed are within the internationally recommended radiation levels to guarantee public safety.

The report says the radiation levels pose no risk to the residents.

In 2013, Court of Appeal judges refused to move to Elgon Place, a building in Nairobi’s Upper Hill area leased by the Judiciary to house them, arguing that telecommunications masts nearby were emitting potentially harmful radioactive material.