Businesspeople at the Nairobi Lunar Park on Tuesday, September 15, asked the Kenya Railways Corporation to give a clear direction on compensation once it moved to reclaim the land they were occupying.
In a press briefing, Railways Lunar Park Traders Association Chairman Clifford Ngwala asked the Kenya Railways Managing Director to clearly outline the eviction plan.
"We have been here for the last 10 years, paying our rents to the Kenya Railways Retirement Benefit Scheme without fail and we demand for a clear plan for our eviction and compensation before we leave the premises,” Ngwala stated.
Additionally, the business owners claimed that there was a plan that had been hatched to demolish their structures on the night of Tuesday, September 15.
They alleged that the land would be used to for the construction of the Nairobi Expressway Road Project.
The property worth millions of shillings hosts numerous recreational activities for children.
The Expressway begins at Mlolongo to JKIA through Nairobi’s CBD and ends at Westlands along Waiyaki Way in a public-private partnership (PPP) parternship.
“We are not going to interfere with Uhuru Park and therefore there should be no concerns from the public. There is enough land to accommodate the road project,” Engineer Peter Mundinia stated in June 2020.
The project, which has delayed for nearly a year, is set to ease traffic in Nairobi.
Previously, several environmental organisations have rallied Kenyans behind the movement to stop the construction of the Nairobi Expressway road.
"Our overall objective as the Daima Consortium is to enhance appreciation and protection of green spaces that include forests and parks. They are the most significant recreational facilities and vital safety valves for ordinary citizens to rejuvenate and relax," the organisations stated in a press statement July 2020.
