Residents of Mukuru Kwa Njenga informal settlement in Nairobi County clashed with police officers on Tuesday morning. 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 Johnson Sakaja 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 organizations 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.
Events like this have brought the discussion back about aiding urban development and at the same time protecting residents of informal settlements.
