Chaos as Mukuru slums residents clash with police over violent evictions
Violent and dramatic scenes played out today after evictions purportedly undertaken to pave way for the construction of the Catherine Ndereba Road in Mukuru Kwa Njenga slums in Nairobi turned into a war zone between residents and police resulting to temporary stoppage order by President William Ruto and Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja.
After visiting the scene, Sakaja termed the exercise “illegal and inhumane” and a violation of dignity in a move tantamount to disowning the project being undertaken within his jurisdiction.
Speaking in Mukuru Kwa Njenga, Sakaja faulted the agencies behind the demolitions, saying they acted without notice, consultation, or coordination with the county government.
“It is very unfortunate that we wake up to several agencies coming together to demolish houses without any notice or proper communication…People are being forced to run for their lives as bulldozers destroy homes that are still occupied. There is a clear process that must be followed, even when constructing access or feeder roads. We are not against development, but we are against inhumane and unlawful processes,” Sakaja noted.
The police had been deployed to evict the residents and demolish their houses allegedly for the construction of Catherine Ndereba Road.
The confrontation broke out when police moved in to tear down the structures, and the residents resisted, saying that they had not been consulted properly or given formal eviction notices. Families trying to get their things out of the houses made the situation in the area more tense.
Nairobi Governor came to the rescue and stopped the demolitions immediately.
The governor described the action as illegal and promised that the county government would take care of compensating the families and engaging all stakeholders before any further action.
Human rights organisations have also spoken against the plan to evict people, claiming that the police have disregarded a court order that prohibits demolitions. The organizations maintain that the eviction is a violation of residents rights and that the government should respect the rule of law and due process.
