Several businesses and properties worth millions were destroyed during a night operation on Tuesday, January 13 around the Nyayo area to pave the way for an upcoming infrastructure project.
Photos obtained by Kenyans.co.ke showed bulldozers and excavators flattening the structures in the area, accompanied by police officers who were at the scene to oversee the operations.
The demolitions happened along Douglas Wakiihiru Road just behind the Nyayo National Stadium.
Among the properties destroyed during the operation are vehicles in car yards, a car wash, and restaurants, among other businesses.
According to reports, some of the businesses destroyed during the operations are linked to a governor.
Photos show burning tyres in the middle of the road, indicating that some residents and businesspeople tried to protest against the demolitions.
Preliminary findings show that the government had issued multiple notices requiring businesses in the area to vacate before the demolitions.
The demolitions are meant to pave way for the construction of a train station which would link the Nairobi CBD to Nyayo and the upcoming Talanta Stadium.
Notably, this is not the first time the government has demolished properties and businesses in the area for a government project.
In 2019, the government demolished a car bazaar opposite Nyayo stadium, which is linked to Governor Wamatangi, which houses businesses such as a restaurant, a pharmacy, a salon, a boutique, and a cosmetics shop.
Police were also on sure to coordinate the demolitions, which caused a heavy traffic snarl up along the busy Langata Road.
The latest incident comes just months after residents in the Ngara area in Nairobi protested after the demolition of their shops by unknown people.
The demonstrations ensued on Wednesday, October 8, 2025, after a group of men began demolishing shops and kiosks located at Fig Tree market to pave the way for the construction of modern housing units.
Reports indicate that the market space had initially been leased to the traders for a specific duration; however, upon the expiry of the deal, the traders declined to leave the area.
