Nairobi residents oppose calls to move them to safer grounds
By Alvin Mwangi, March 18, 2025Residents 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, Kiambiu and Kibera, want the government to compensate them before any demolition of their homes takes place.
Speaking yesterday to People Daily, 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.
Moses Mwangi a resident of Kiambiu, slum in Eastleigh, Kamukunji said they will all attempt to be relocated if the government will not compensate them accordingly.
“ We know there is danger but we will not move out if we are not compensated accordingly and as per the standards. We are used to the usual games by the government. Let them be fair to us for the first time now,” he said.
Mwangi’s sentiments have been echoed by Embakasi South MP Julius Mawathe, who last week 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.
The debate comes even as President William Ruto, during his tour of the 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.