Chaos erupted along Jogoo Road in Nairobi on Monday after Makongeni residents staged protests against planned evictions by the Nairobi City County to pave the way for an affordable housing project.
Traffic along the busy highway came to a halt as angry residents lit bonfires and barricaded the road, leaving motorists stranded for hours.
Videos circulating online showed burning tyres and thick plumes of smoke rising near City Stadium.
According to eyewitnesses, police officers were deployed to disperse the demonstrators, while reports indicated that opportunistic youth took advantage of the chaos to harass and rob trapped motorists.
Road safety group Sikika warned drivers to avoid the area, saying some vehicles had been stoned during the unrest.
“As of now, avoid Jogoo Road; we repeat, avoid it towards City Stadium, people are breaking car windows using stones and robbing motorists. National Police Service, a serious backup is needed now,” Sikika warned.
Police officers have also been spotted on the scene trying to quell the protests, even as motorists remain stuck on the road.
Notably, this is not the first time Makongeni residents have protested over the impending evictions and demolitions.
On July 2, the residents protested against what they termed as rushed and opaque evictions from their houses to pave the way for a government-backed affordable housing project after they woke up to officials counting their homes.
“We woke up to find officials counting households without any prior notice. No one has explained where we are going or what we are getting in return,” one of the residents stated.
“They say we’ll be compensated, but no clear figures. We’ve heard rumours of Ksh150,000, but that’s not even enough to rent in Nairobi.”
The residents, many of whom are descendants of former Kenya Railways Corporation employees, claimed that they were blindsided by an enumeration exercise meant to identify beneficiaries and prepare for relocation.
The Makongeni Residents Association claimed that the community was neither properly informed nor consulted about the process.
