Residents in Ruaka Estate woke up to mass demolitions by a bulldozer deployed to bring down walls, gates and other structures sitting on a road reserved for construction of the Western Bypass.
The walls had earlier been marked for demolition by the Kenya National Highway Authority (KENHA) to pave way for the expansion of the Ksh17 billion western bypass that is under construction.
The residents gathered up to salvage debris from the gates as they watched helplessly unable to stop the demolitions. Some who had cars parked in the compounds had to wake up and seek new parking grounds.
This will also see children stay indoors as most of the area allocated for play in the residences will now be eaten up by the road.
The compounds of the affected buildings have now been left bare and exposed. The security and privacy of the apartments has also been compromised.
Ruaka town which has undergone a major facelift attracted many people who work in Nairobi town due to its affordable residential apartments.
A majority of people prefer houses close to the road for convenience when leaving for work in the morning and getting back in the evenings. This may soon change with the ongoing construction of roads that has seen walls demolished.
The western bypass construction began in 2019 under the China Road and Bridge Corporation contractors and is currently 46.9 percent complete. It includes the construction of seven grade interchanges at Gitaru, Lower Kabete, Wangige, Kihara, Ndenderu, Rumenye, and Ruaka, as well as the construction of ten overpasses and five underpasses.
The bypass runs along Gitaru Road on the northeast and turns near Ndenderu town on the southeast ending at the Two Rivers mall roundabout on the Northern bypass. Once complete, the bypass will ease traffic to and from town making it convenient for commuters.
