Eastleigh residents slam City Hall over shoddy repairs on Athumani Kipanga Street, demand permanent fix
The Eastleigh Residents Association has accused the Nairobi City County of failing to provide a long-lasting solution, saying the ongoing rehabilitation work is being done without proper procedures.
Eastleigh residents have raised concerns over what they described as poor rehabilitation work being done on Athumani Kipanga Street.
The Eastleigh Residents Association has accused the Nairobi City County of failing to provide a long-lasting solution, saying the ongoing rehabilitation work is being done without proper procedures.
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Athumani Kipanga Street has been in a state of disrepair for several years. It is one of the busiest roads in Eastleigh and serves as home to more than 20 malls, including the well-known Gold Market.
On Sunday, Nairobi City County began rehabilitation work on the road, but residents say the contractor is not following the right process and the road will deteriorate again within weeks.
According to the residents, the contractor poured murram directly over the existing mud and standing water without clearing it first.
They argue that this will weaken the base of the road, causing it to return to its poor state soon after the work is completed.
They added that the work is being done in a rushed manner and does not address the root causes of the road’s condition.
A spot check by The Eastleigh Voice confirmed that the contractor had not cleared the road properly. Murram was poured on top of mud, and the drainage system was blocked with debris and soil, preventing water from draining off the road.
Rehabilitation works on the Athumani Kipanga Street in Eastleigh, Nairobi. (Photo: Abdirahman Khalif)
Mohamed Ismail, an executive board member of the Eastleigh Residents Association, urged the Nairobi City County to stop the work and address the underlying issues affecting the road.
He noted that the road's main challenge has always been related to a faulty sewage system, which the county government has failed to fix over the years.
Mohamed said the ongoing rehabilitation does not address the drainage and sewage problems and is therefore only a temporary measure. He expressed frustration with the way road works are often handled in Eastleigh.
“They are doing shoddy work. The road has not been cleared. The standing water and the mud are still there. You don’t repair a road like that,” Mohamed said.
He further criticised the Nairobi City County for consistently doing substandard work in Eastleigh. He stated that many roads previously repaired by the county in the area have gone back to their original poor condition.
“For once we want Nairobi County to solve the perennial issues of this road. We are tired of shoddy work,” he added.
Business owners along Athumani Kipanga Road have also expressed their dissatisfaction. Faisal Hussein, who sells watches at Bangkok Mall, said that the area has been neglected for years despite its economic importance. He called on the county government to provide a permanent solution rather than temporary fixes.
“We have been neglected for years. All these big malls deserve good roads. Nairobi County should find a permanent solution, not this kind of temporary measures,” he said.
Efforts by The Eastleigh Voice to contact the contractor responsible for the road were unsuccessful.
The current rehabilitation work is only being done along a portion of the road, beginning from Bangkok Mall and ending near Galmart Supermarket on Shariff Mall. Residents say partial repairs do not solve the problem and are demanding a full and permanent solution to the road’s condition.
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