Slum residents oppose eviction plans amid flooding risk, demand compensation first
The debate comes even as President William Ruto, during his tour of city, assured that all persons displaced from riparian lands due to floods would be prioritised in the allocation of social housing units.
Residents of Nairobi living next to the Nairobi River have opposed fresh calls for them to relocate to safer grounds ahead of the impending rains.
The residents, who mainly live in informal settlements such as Mathare and Kibera, want the government to compensate them before any demolition of their homes takes place.
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Speaking to Eastleigh Voice, Mathare community volunteer and leader Juliet Akinyi, who coordinated camps for those displaced by last year’s floods, said residents are resisting relocation because they have no alternatives.
“We know the rains have started, but we are reluctant to leave our houses because we have nowhere else to go. Relocation can only be possible if the government first provides us with alternative accommodation,” said Akinyi.
She added that residents are unwilling to endure the inhumane treatment they witnessed last year when their homes were demolished under police watch.
Akinyi’s sentiments have been echoed by Embakasi South Member of Parliament, Julius Mawathe, who on Friday vowed to oppose any eviction attempts targeting residents of riparian areas over flood risks.
“We will not allow any form of eviction targeting slum dwellers this time around. We will oppose them because our people have no alternatives and are already suffering,” said Mawathe.
Government promises resettlement
The debate comes even as President William Ruto, during his tour of city, assured that all persons displaced from riparian lands due to floods would be prioritised in the allocation of social housing units.
Speaking in Njiru on Friday, Ruto said the construction of these houses would begin once the Nairobi Rivers Regeneration Project is completed.
He further stated that the government had already documented the names of all individuals displaced by last year’s heavy floods.
“All persons who were displaced from riparian land will be the first to be allocated the social housing units we are constructing. We have the names of everyone who was displaced and their exact locations before the floods,” Ruto said.
He added that at least 50,000 social housing units would be built on these spaces once a new sewer line is established and the river is cleaned.
“As part of the Nairobi River regeneration, we want to transform the river from a sewage-filled waterway by removing solid waste, constructing a 60-kilometre sewer line, deepening the river, and building 50,000 new housing units.”
Evictions and court rulings
In May 2024, the Interior Ministry, then led by Kithure Kindiki (now Deputy President), announced that 40,000 households had voluntarily vacated riparian reserves along the Nairobi, Mathare, and Ngong Rivers, as well as other tributaries.
Kindiki stated that these households comprised 181,000 people.
“The government appreciates the public’s cooperation in the ongoing programme to evacuate persons whose presence on riparian corridors within the Nairobi Rivers Ecosystem poses grave risks to their lives, as witnessed during last month’s torrential flooding,” he said.
He also noted that the government had honoured its pledge to provide each affected household with Sh10,000 to assist them in securing alternative rental accommodation.
However, the evictions were challenged in court. On November 4, 2024, the High Court delivered a ruling against the government, ordering compensation for residents who had been evicted from their homes, allegedly built on riparian land in Nairobi.
The ruling provided relief for thousands of residents who had been displaced from Mathare, Gwa Kairu, Mukuru Kwa Ruben, and Kiamako.
Many residents had reported being left homeless for months following the demolitions, despite President Ruto’s assurances that they would be resettled.
Meanwhile, the government, through humanitarian agencies, has awarded an average of Sh10,000 per household for resettlement. However, some affected residents argue that the amount is insufficient to cover their immediate needs, given the current economic challenges.
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