President Ruto halts evictions until families get alternative housing
He emphasised the need for fair and lawful approaches to land disputes, saying forced removals should not continue without a proper relocation plan.
President William Ruto has directed a stop to all evictions on public land until affected families are provided with alternative housing.
Speaking in Nairobi on Friday, he emphasised the need for fair and lawful approaches to land disputes, saying forced removals should not continue without a proper relocation plan.
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“Some Kenyans are telling me that there are land problems here. I am announcing that the past practices of arbitrary evictions will not continue. Even if a citizen has settled where they are not supposed to be, we must follow the law and ensure they are given an alternative place so that we move forward as one,” he said.
The president’s statement follows a series of forced evictions that have left many families homeless.
In December 2024, residents of Nyama Villa in Kayole were left stranded after their homes were demolished in a long-standing land dispute between Muthithi Investments and alleged illegal settlers.
The demolitions, carried out in the early hours under heavy police presence, sparked outrage, with human rights groups condemning the treatment of affected families.
President Ruto also announced that families displaced from riparian lands due to last year’s floods would be the first to receive Social Housing units.
He assured them that the government had documented all those affected and would prioritise their resettlement once the Nairobi Rivers regeneration project is completed.
“All persons who were displaced from riparian land will be the first to be given the Social Housing homes that we are now constructing. We have names of each and everyone who was displaced and where they were displaced from because of floods,” Ruto said.
According to the President, at least 50,000 affordable housing units will be constructed in the designated areas once a new sewer system is installed and the river cleanup is completed.
Ruto’s directive comes amid efforts to redevelop Nairobi’s informal settlements and provide structured housing solutions.
In May 2024, the Interior Ministry, then led by Kithure Kindiki, reported that 40,000 households comprising 181,000 people had voluntarily left riparian areas across Nairobi, Mathare, and Ngong Rivers.
The government had provided each household with sh10,000 in rental assistance, with a promise to prioritize them in the Affordable Housing Programme.
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