Teen killed, woman shot amid Mathare North demolitions

A 17-year-old boy was killed in Mathare North, Nairobi County, on Monday, by a bulldozer demolishing houses as part of evacuation orders to prevent more tragedies amid torrential rains

Ian Henry Otieno's family said he was sifting through mounds of rubble at the scene to recover any possessions that were spared the destruction.

Neighbours described a frantic scene with residents scrambling to salvage their belongings and evacuate.

Teen killed, woman shot amid Mathare North demolitions pic.twitter.com/K75aOXCr1l

— The Eastleigh Voice (@Eastleighvoice) May 6, 2024

His mother told The Eastleigh Voice, "I was at the hospital buying medicine for my daughter, who has sickle cell disease. When I returned, I was met with the devastating news that my son was killed."

The woman, identified only as Winnie, added, "Everyone was pleading with the authorities not to demolish the houses as there were people inside, but they ignored them. The police saw my son being killed and told them to bury him there."

She said the police denied her the opportunity to take the body to the mortuary and that she did not know where it was taken.

"Ruto nipee mtoto wangu!" - Mother of the 17-year-old boy killed in Mathare North by the bulldozer demolishing houses around river banks calls out the government for his son's killing pic.twitter.com/tchMpwslVA

— The Eastleigh Voice (@Eastleighvoice) May 6, 2024

Ian's sister, Miriam, said, "I saw my brother's body on the road when the fracas between the residents and the police was going on. He was bleeding and had irreversible injuries. I saw him 30 minutes ago in the house, but he is now lying lifeless on the road."

Eyewitnesses say they shouted to alert the bulldozer operator, but the operation continued.

One Maureen Atieno said, "Ian was with his friend inside, trying to pick something up, but we did not know it would be the last time we would see him. We saw the bulldozer mercilessly falling on him, killing him instantly."

EXPLAINER: How a bulldozer in Mathare North killed a 17-year-old boy during the demolition exercise going on in Nairobi county pic.twitter.com/5bFAZadm5z

— The Eastleigh Voice (@Eastleighvoice) May 6, 2024

Another witness said the confrontation between the police and the residents started when they took Ian's body by force and asked the family not to tag along.

"We carried Ian's dead body to the police station, but the police blocked the way and even denied the family access. They started dispersing the crowd by throwing teargas and firing bullets all over so we left the body on the road," said another witness who did not want to be named.

Anastasia Wairimu, another witness, said, "The police started shooting in the sky to disperse us after we refused to let them carry Ian's body without the family. My friend Halima got shot in the neck by a stray bullet.

She added, "Halima cried out, but we could not help since we were being chased away."

Fracas erupt in Mathare North after a teen is killed by a demolishing bulldozer, and a woman is shot as the crowd confronts the police who were at the scene pic.twitter.com/AHZdrVmFuP

— The Eastleigh Voice (@Eastleighvoice) May 6, 2024

In another incident highlighting the peril as residents of informal settlements around Nairobi are evacuated, five-year-old Joseph Ombata was killed by a bulldozer during a forced demolition in Mukuru kwa Reuben.

Residents said he had been looking for property to salvage.

Bulldozers demolish houses in Mukuru kwa Reuben as Kenya Power officials disconnect electricity, following an order by President William Ruto directing individuals living in flood-risky areas to vacate amid ongoing rains

📸 Justine Ondieki pic.twitter.com/Z8Uod7xqHa

— The Eastleigh Voice (@Eastleighvoice) May 7, 2024

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki on Friday directed the demolition of buildings and structures illegally erected on riparian lands along Nairobi's riverbanks. The order, impacting structures within 30 metres of the Ngong, Mathare, and Nairobi rivers, has sparked significant upheaval, leaving thousands of residents homeless.

The government maintains that the demolitions are necessary to protect Kenyans from further tragedies caused by the ongoing torrential rains.

However, the lack of adequate notice and the immediate displacement of many people have raised concerns about the humanitarian implications of such drastic measures.