Nairobi News

Hundreds of residents at Mukuru Kwa Njenga will tonight spend the night in the cold after their houses were demolished on Wednesday morning.

The demolition that started in the wee hours of Wednesday caught most residents unaware.

The demolitions comes after the government gave those encroaching on private land to leave.

Houses constructed along road reserves, railway lines, power lines and pipelines’ right-of-way are set for demolition across the country.

The government on Monday said that more than 100 structures will be brought down in a process which was set to begin next week to protect infrastructure from damage and bring sanity in the construction industry.

Moses Nyakiongora, Buildings Inspectorate secretary in the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development said the government in partnership with relevant authorities had served owners and families of targeted locations with notices to evacuate encroached lands.

Uncertain of what was to come, some residents of Mukuru Kwa Njenga near Imara Daima started to move their property, but others were not so lucky.

According to some of the residents, they saw a police car that came at night and told them to go into their houses and nothing would happen then a few minutes later 10 land cruisers and a tractor showed up.

The demolition has seen over 300 houses and businesses flattened.

Residents have accused Kenya Railways for their predicament accusing them of going against a court order barring them from eviction.

Many of the residents have called place their home for the last 10 years and are now calling on the government and other stakeholders to intervene.