If you live in a county house in Woodley, Lumumba, Maringo, Ofafa Jericho, or New Pumwani estates, keep your ears on the ground — eviction notices could land at your doorstep any time, straight from City Hall.
An ambitious plan by the Nairobi government to revamp 13 public housing estates has sparked uproar among tenants, triggering mounting fears of forced evictions and legal battles over rent arrears and disputed land ownership.
Among the estates earmarked for redevelopment under the citywide regeneration programme are Woodley, Lumumba, Maringo, Ofafa Jericho, and New Pumwani. While the county frames the project as an urgent modernisation plan, tenant associations accuse it of being railroaded without adequate consultation, placing thousands of long-term residents at risk.
Some residents' associations have condemned the decision outright, warning that it could displace many families and potentially trigger a humanitarian crisis in the city.
Governor Johnson Sakaja, defending the plan, says the county is being forced to "think outside the box" amid dwindling revenue from land rates and public housing rent. Appearing before the Senate Roads, Transport and Housing Committee, Sakaja revealed staggering levels of rent arrears, especially in Woodley estate.
“In Woodley estate alone, 118 tenants owe a total of Sh39.6 million in unpaid rent,” he said. One tenant has not paid rent for 13 years and now owes Sh1.8 million. Another owes Sh1.74 million after failing to pay Sh11,000 monthly for more than eight years.
Sakaja argued that many of the residents are occupying prime public property while neglecting basic obligations.
“For everyone in our county houses who is not paying rent, you will be evicted,” he said. “These houses don’t belong to me — they belong to the people of Nairobi.”
He added that the rents charged, as low as Sh10,000 or Sh17,000 for houses in high-value areas like Woodley, are far below the market rates. “What are we expected to do with you when you occupy such homes and refuse to pay even that little?” he posed.
However, tenant leaders are pushing back, accusing the county of sidestepping legal protocols, failing to conduct proper public participation, and ignoring the unresolved issue of land ownership in some of the estates.
Chairperson of the Woodley Residents Welfare Society, Sam Gachagua, told senators evictions were being pursued without proper engagement or compensation.
“Public participation has not been conducted properly in Woodley estate. Some members have been compensated while others have not. We need a meeting with the governor and his officers,” he said.
Gachagua also said many tenants believed they were acting in good faith, relying on a rent waiver issued during former Governor Mike Sonko’s administration.
A gazette notice from that period suspended rent collection and directed residents to resume payments in 2019. “No one has refused to pay rent,” he added. “We were simply following what the county told us.”
The situation is further complicated by a court ruling that nullified title deeds issued in Woodley estate — casting doubt over ownership claims and fueling more confusion.
With legal uncertainty hanging over the estates and calls for dialogue intensifying, the risk of prolonged litigation looms large.
While tenants demand a halt to evictions until all issues are addressed, the county insists redevelopment must proceed and rent must be paid.
For now, Nairobi’s vision of a modernised housing landscape hangs in the balance, as the clash over rights, rent, and redevelopment unfolds — one estate at a time.
