NMS to Evict Informal Settlements from Public Land

The Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) is planning to evict thousands of families living in informal settlements in Nairobi’s public land.

On Wednesday, the Nairobi Metropolitan Service director-general Mohamed Badi told Parliament that the Regional Security Intelligence Committee (RSIC) had approved evictions in Lang’ata, Embakasi, Njiru, Mathare, and Makadara.

Mr. Badi revealed the eviction plans when he appeared before Senate to respond to queries over the illegal acquisition of government land in Eastleigh and Pangani. He saw the doctors’ and nurses’ housing units allocated to private developers Pangani Maternity Hospital.

The eviction will be conducted across the city’s 12 sub-counties.

In Embakasi, NMS and RSIC seek to demolish the illegal structures near Ole Sereni and along the Perimeter wall of the East African School of Aviation.

“Illegal structures along the Kenya Builder & Concrete Co Ltd perimeter wall and surrounding areas of Kware and Pipeline in Embakasi are causing insecurity,” the NMS boss told the committee.

In the Njiru sub-county, Mr. Badi said the development on LR. No 42/2/1/1 is illegal and has been granted demolition priority. Badi added that a site visit to the property showed that the said land has five permanent and 12 temporary structures constructed without NMS approvals.

NMS will also remove illegal containers placed at Huruma playground by community-based organizations and informal houses built on sewer lines in Kiamaiko village.

“Demolitions at Village Kiamaiko whereby the area is currently full of illegal structures that are serving as dwelling houses built on the sewer line. Nairobi Water and Services Company wants to upgrade the sewer line,” he said.

The eviction approval has also been secured for structures at Karsang land on Manyanja Road within Umoja Division block number 82/5608 in Donholm.

RSIC has pending requests for evictions at Tassia and Shauri Moyo in Embakasi, Farmers Choice at Kahawa West in Roysambu, Baba Dogo, General Wairunge Street in Pangani, Imara Daima, Kibra, Kamukunji and Shauri Moyo.

Last year hundreds of families from Mukuru Kwa Njenga slums in Nairobi were left homeless by violent eviction and demolition of their houses to pave the way for the construction of Catherine Ndereba Road. The incident made Kenyans uproar, pushing president Kenyatta to resettle the evicted residents.

According to Human Rights groups in the area, the eviction chaos led to more than three people’s shootings in the police-locals clash.