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Kiambiu slum will not be demolished, Sakaja and MP Yusuf assure

Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja and Kamukunji MP Yusuf Hassan address residents of Kamukuji Sub-county on April 29, 2024. (Photo: NCCG)

By Maureen Kinyanjui | 01 May 2024

Governor Sakaja, MP Yusuf and area MCAs visited the settlement on Tuesday evening, distributing blankets, mattresses, dry foods, and other necessities to people affected by the floods.

The Kiambiu slum in Kamukunji Constituency will not be demolished, the city governor and the area's legislators have assured, much to the relief of residents who were concerned about an unverified claim of the same.

Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja, Kamukunji MP Yusuf Hassan, and Eastleigh South MCA Nicholas Juma gave this assurance on Tuesday during a tour of the area.

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"The Kiambiu settlement will not be demolished under my watch. This is home to over 50,000 people who are residents of Nairobi and deserve to be protected," Sakaja told The Eastleigh Voice on Wednesday.

He also noted that the 74 acres of land on which the slum sits were transferred to the county on the president's order, guaranteeing proper administration over it.

Yusuf reiterated that the settlement belongs to the people. He recounted efforts to secure its status, saying that in January 2023, both he and Sakaja raised the issue with President William Ruto.

At that time, the ownership of the land had been contested, with the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) claiming it was an extension of the Eastleigh Airbase.

For some time, false reports have circulated regarding the fate of Kiambiu, including claims of plans to demolish the sprawling informal settlement in Eastleigh South.

Last night, alongside Nairobi Governor @SakajaJohnson and local MCA @Nicksookwacho, we dispelled these rumours.… pic.twitter.com/4QdFJjLJ4R
— Yusuf Hassan (@MPyusufhassan) May 1, 2024

In response, President Ruto directed the KDF to relinquish ownership, subsequently transferring the land to the central government.

"We are grateful to the president for his decision to normalise the status of Kiambiu and protect its residents," Yusuf said.

He outlined plans for the settlement's development, saying a survey plan was being developed.

"Once the survey plan is completed, we will implement proper infrastructure such as roads, housing, schools, and medical facilities for Kiambiu. The real development of this neighbourhood will then commence in earnest."

During their visit on Tuesday evening, Governor Sakaja, MP Yusuf, and MCA Juma distributed blankets, mattresses, dry foods, and other necessities to people affected by the floods.

The governor assured the victims of his administration's full support.

Kiambiu was listed as one of the flood hotspots in Nairobi. Late last month, residents were stranded after torrential rains wreaked havoc, damaging a vital footbridge connecting the area to the Uhuru and Buruburu areas in Embakasi West and Makadara.

The footbridge, which had been in existence for over two decades, collapsed into the river, leaving residents with no way to cross. They joined hands in the construction of a temporary bridge.

Governor Sakaja has pledged to reconstruct the bridge, which is among 13 that have been destroyed in the aftermath of heavy rains.