Parklands construction workers stage protest, accuse residents’ association of harassment
The workers, who marched through the area singing protest songs, said they had grown frustrated by what they described as targeted efforts to shut down ongoing construction projects in the neighbourhood.
Business activities in Nairobi's Parklands were disrupted on Thursday when construction workers marched in protest, accusing the Parklands Residents Association of harassment and intimidation.
The workers, who marched through the area singing protest songs, said they had grown frustrated by what they described as targeted efforts to shut down ongoing construction projects in the neighbourhood.
Carrying placards and chanting in unison, the demonstrators expressed concerns that their jobs were at risk. Many of them said they rely on construction work for their livelihoods and feared they would soon be unemployed if the current pattern of interference continues.
They claimed that members of the Parklands Residents Association have been using various tactics to stop construction in the area despite the projects being legally approved.
“This work has employed a lot of youth. We cannot accept other people to come and stop it. We have all the necessary documents,” said one of the demonstrators.
Repeated intimidation
The protest was organised in response to what the workers and their representatives described as repeated instances of intimidation.
They accused the residents’ group of overstepping their mandate by trying to block construction projects that had already been approved by the Nairobi City County Government.
The workers maintained that their operations were legal and that no court order had been issued to stop construction in Parklands or Westlands.
Mohamed Ismail, the organising secretary of the Property Developers Welfare Society of Nairobi, said the situation had reached a tipping point.
He confirmed that the Parklands Residents Association had filed a lawsuit against the Nairobi City County, with a ruling expected in the middle of the month.
However, he noted that despite the matter being in court, the association had continued to engage in acts of intimidation against developers and workers in the area.
“They accuse us of being immigrants on social media and trying to take away their land,” said Mohamed.
One community targeted
Mohamed alleged that the association’s actions had targeted construction projects owned predominantly by one community.
He explained that there had been attempts by members of the Parklands Residents Association to extort money from developers by demanding payment to allow projects to continue.
A screenshot reportedly from a WhatsApp group, seen by The Eastleigh Voice last month, showed members of the residents’ association referring to certain Kenyan developers in the area as “illegal immigrants.”
The Property Developers Welfare Society and other construction stakeholders argue that such remarks and actions are an attempt to isolate and economically disadvantage a specific group.
They argue that such exclusionary behaviour violates national values and legal rights, particularly in cities where development is regulated by law and official planning frameworks.
Despite the unrest, construction workers and developers remain firm in their position that they will continue with legally approved work and will not yield to what they described as unlawful pressure.
They called on authorities to ensure that no group is allowed to interfere with lawfully sanctioned economic activities.
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