Uhuru apologises over inhumane Mukuru demolitions

President Uhuru Kenyatta has apologised to residents of Mukuru over the recent ‘inhumane’ demolitions .

Speaking for the first time over the demolitions, the head of state sympathised with those who lost their property, saying the officers who were involved in the evictions faced the law.

“I know there are many who lost their houses and I have never gone back to visit the area," Uhuru said on Sunday. 

"On behalf of those who were found guilty since some of them were government officers, I ask for forgiveness.” 

Mukuru kwa Njenga has been faced with demolitions for the past eight months.

Since October last year, hundreds of residents have been agonising over their next move after the government started demolishing their houses to pave way for a link road.

Those living on road reserves were asked to vacate for the expansion of Catherine Ndereba Road. 

It will link the area to the Nairobi Expressway.

However, it appears the demolitions went beyond the marked area. 

As a result, at least 14 junior police officers were summoned in January to record statements over the demolitions at Mukuru kwa Njenga slums on December 27, 2021. 

The officers were among security agents involved in an operation by the Nairobi Metropolitan Services to bring down houses in the slum for road expansion.

The President also urged for a fair process in land allocation for legitimate owners in the area to avoid future demolitions.

"The government is still dealing with adjudication and I believe the process will be done fairly so that the legitimate owners of land will be given the correct documents to avoid a repetition of what happened,” Uhuru said.

Last month, the government was given the green-light to proceed with the evictions. 

This is after the Environment and Lands Court dismissed a case seeking to block Mukuru kwa Njenga residents from being evicted and their houses demolished.

More than 27,000 residents claimed they have lived on the property since 1958, therefore, should not be subjected to evictions.

The residents were also opposed to the government’s plan to build Catherine Ndereba Road in the area.

They claimed that they were not consulted and were not involved in the design process.

 However, in his judgement, Justice Oguttu Mboya found that there was no evidence that they had lived on the land since 1958.

He also said that the case filed by a section of slum dwellers and city politician Irshadali Sumra alongside 11 others had no merit as there cannot be another title issued parallel to that held by Orbit Chemicals Limited.

In August 2017, the Nairobi City County officially declared Mukuru a Special Planning Area, stopping any further development for two years until a Mukuru Integrated Development Plan is produced. 

The declaration stopped development in the almost 650 acres area.

(edited by Amol Awuor)