There has been growing criticism from leaders and traders who have questioned the timing of the Gikomba market demolitions, arguing that night operations lead to greater loss of property and a lack of transparency.

Murang’a Senator Joe Nyutu is one of the leaders who have sharply criticised the government over the demolitions at Gikomba Market, questioning why such operations are often carried out at night.

Speaking on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, during an interview with a local TV station, Nyutu condemned what he termed a troubling pattern, arguing that night-time demolitions deny traders the opportunity to salvage their goods.

The senator posed a series of pointed questions regarding the timing and intent of the demolitions, suggesting that the approach may be deliberate.

“Why do demolitions always happen at night, and what is the motive? Because when it happens at night, there is a loss of property. Why don’t you start the demolitions early in the morning, let’s say 8:00 am, so that the traders can be able to salvage their property?” he posed.

Public safety

But why do these demolitions only happen at night? Well, the government has defended its decision to carry out demolitions and evictions at night, citing public safety and the need to minimise disruption.

Speaking during an interview with a local TV station on the night of Tuesday, March 31, 2026, Mumo Musuva, a commissioner at the Nairobi Rivers Commission, said that the primary reason for conducting demolitions at night is to maintain public safety and prevent chaos.

“As I understand it from the operations team, it is a public safety issue. The trajectory of these removals or demolitions is to give the people the opportunity to remove and salvage the material that they need to salvage, and then we gave them notice and said we are coming to remove whatever it is that has not been removed there,” he said.

He added that daytime demolitions could trigger large crowds, heightening the risk of confrontation and disruption to surrounding businesses.

Interference with economic activities

Musuva explained that night operations are strategically planned to reduce interference with economic activities in busy commercial zones such as Gikomba.

“The reason for the night is largely a public safety issue. If you do it during the day, the amount of disruptions and possibility of chaos is very high,” he stated.

Gikomba, one of Nairobi’s busiest markets, operates during the day with thousands of traders and customers, making daytime enforcement logistically challenging.

Authorities have also insisted that the demolitions were not carried out in secrecy.

“And it is not that the security people sneaked in at night; everybody was notified, the chiefs notified the people, and said that the removal was going to happen in the evening, and the excavators that were going to be used were parked a day before. So nothing was done in hiding. It was all planned and programmed to achieve minimum disruptions for other business activities happening around the area,” Musuva said.

Officials maintain that traders were given sufficient time to remove their belongings before the demolition exercise commenced.

Despite the explanation, the nighttime operation has drawn sharp criticism from political leaders and affected traders. Critics argue that, regardless of notice, conducting demolitions at night limits the ability of traders to fully salvage their goods and raises concerns about accountability.

Some leaders have questioned whether adequate public participation was conducted and why enforcement appears concentrated in informal settlements and markets.

While the government insists night operations are safer and more orderly, opponents continue to call for more humane approaches, including daytime demolitions, structured relocation plans, and compensation for affected traders.