NRB Hospital Wants KURA To Relocate Footbridge Near Its Premises Over Radio Active Poisoning
The Nairobi Hospital has now requested that the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) relocate a public footbridge currently under construction on Ngong Road, citing the risk of radiation poisoning to members of the public.
Christine Juma 
The footbridge that connects the perimeter walls of Nairobi Hospital and Kenyatta Hospital stops outside Nairobi Hospital's Cancer Treatment Center, raising concerns about radioactive contamination.
“We are concerned about the safety of radioactive materials fitted in our Cancer Treatment Centre. Indeed, the hospital has demonstrated that the bridge can be moved several meters lower or higher along the road, reducing the risks cited on its present termination point,” Nairobi Hospital CEO James Nyamongo said in a statement.
“It also exposes our power and oxygen plants to potential terrorist or other criminal attacks.”
A photo of the Nairobi Hospital. PHOTO FILE
Nairobi Hospital, according to Nyamongo, has been working with key government officials on the construction of the footbridge since February 2022. The hospital's efforts caused the project to be temporarily halted, but the building has just resumed.
Nyamongo further claims that the government erred by allegedly failing to perform stakeholder consultations before commissioning the footbridge and by allegedly ignoring nuclear regulatory agency advice pertaining to the abovementioned hazardous plant.
The hospital, through its legal counsel, Triple OK Law Advocates, is prepared to seek legal recourse because the State has neglected to resolve its issues.
The hospital is requesting that the footbridge construction be halted to allow for inclusive consultations in compliance with the Constitutional obligation of inclusive public participation and stakeholder engagement.
On Thursday, KURA denied the Hospital's plea to halt the building of the footbridge due to noise pollution, citing that it was a critical project that might help reduce mortality from accidents at the site.
"Public safety is at the core of our mandate and thus we cannot stop undertaking the footbridge construction which after completion will save lives. The statistics of the pedestrians knocked around KNH are alarming and thus a footbridge is urgently needed to avert more deaths!" read a Tweet by KURA on Thursday 14th July.
KURA added on their Twitter social media account that before they had commenced the construction of the footbridge the Nairobi hospital was involved.
2. We wish to inform the public as follows:
— Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) (@KURAroads) July 14, 2022
(i) Before we embarked on implementing the footbridge construction project, eleven Public & Stakeholder engagements were conducted and Nairobi Hospital was fully involved.
