As soon as the 10-week-notice expires, the demolitions will resume, Energy Minister Ochillo Ayacko said.

The exercise was temporarily stopped to give the affected people enough notice to move. It also gave the Government time to formulate a policy on demolitions, Mr Ayacko said.

Giving a ministerial statement demanded by Mr David Mwenje (Embakasi, Narc) last week, Mr Ayacko said it was the policy of the Government to open up roads and offer quality electricity services to Kenyans.

He said unless illegal buildings on road reserves were cleared, the Government would not be able to carry out this mandate.

But the Government was willing to negotiate with the owners of buildings under power lines to explore the possibility of diverting the lines at their cost, Mr Ayacko said.

He said the Kenya Power and Lighting Company had started negotiations with some landlords in Dagoretti, Nairobi, on the matter.

Dr Bonaya Godana (North Horr, Kanu) said the Attorney General should give the legal position regarding the demolitions.

Mr Joseph Lagat (Eldoret East, Kanu) said some of the buildings earmarked for demolitions were put up before power lines were erected. He said that it would be cheaper to relocate power lines than to demolish buildings.

Meanwhile, Mr William Omondi (Kasarani, Narc) sought a ministerial statement from the minister in charge of Internal Security in the Office of the President. He asked the minister to address an incident in which 10 people invaded a flat in Kasarani and beat residents, killing two, one of them a 16-year-old school boy.

Mr Abdulrahmann Ali Hassan, (Wajir North, Kanu) asked for a ministerial statement from the ministry of Works, Roads and Housing regarding the poor state of the Habassuein-Modogashe-Garissa Road.

Mr Kirugi M Mukindia (Imenti Central, Narc) said the Government should give adequate notice to the owners of the buildings before demolitions commence.