Residents of Kiambiu, Kamukunji Constituency in Nairobi County, have expressed fear of having to move out of their houses after the government revealed plans to demolish more houses in the area. According to the residents, the move is to create room for the creation of land for Kenya Kwanza's Affordable Housing project.
A meeting between the residents and the county officials on Wednesday, November 20, broke into a heated argument as they could not reach an agreement.
The residents were angered by the government's move to evict them from the 59 acres of land to provide space for affordable houses.
According to the residents, 5,000 people whose houses were demolished earlier this year are still homeless, as the government has yet to fulfill its promise to compensate them.
"We don't have anywhere to go. I'd like the government to come here and see the conditions in which we live. Why are they treating us as animals?" Defrida Chegombe, a resident of Kiambiu whose house was demolished earlier, asked.
Most of the residents whose houses were demolished still live on the land as squatters. According to them, they have no other places to go.
The government had promised them that they would provide an alternative place for them while the construction of affordable houses continued. Six months later, the residents have not been compensated nor relocated.
"We will give every household Ksh10,000 to look for alternative places to live as you await the affordable housing project," a file video of President Ruto promising the residents on May 6 revealed.
The government necessitated the demolitions in the area due to the floods that were experienced in May that left at least 291 people passed away, as well as massive property destruction and the displacement of hundreds of thousands.
The residents have now expressed their anger that the government duped them into allowing the demolitions, thinking that they would plant trees, but are now surprised by the changes.
"Earlier we had allowed them to demolish the houses thinking that they would plant trees on the riparian land, but now we cannot allow them to build the affordable houses here," another resident, Victor Onyango, asserted.
The developments come a day after other residents in Nairobi's Woodley estate were left homeless after the government demolished 43 houses.
