Scores of police officers have been deployed to Githurai on Thursday, February 19, after locals staged protests along Thika Road.
The business owners were protesting a night operation that saw the demolition of multiple business premises at Githurai 45.
Police officers were deployed to clear the road after the protesters set tyres on fire and barricaded the road.
The deployment was to prevent further escalation of the tiff between the business owners and those responsible for the demolitions.
Locals observed officers from the administration police unit, adorned in riot gear and armed with clubs, canvassing the area.
The business owners complained that the seven-day notice issued by the Kenya National Highway Authority (KeNHA) was not enough and asked the agency to reconsider the decision.
They claimed that while they understood the reason for the eviction, they had nowhere else to go.
“We are very sad because they want to demolish our businesses. We do not have the money to rent stalls in Githurai market,” one trader stated.
Furthermore, the traders alleged that there was no plan to build a bus park and that the area was being cleared to allow the setting up of a project by a private developer.
“KeNHA demolitions were to happen within a 30 metre radius of the road. What we hear now is that a private investor wants to come here to build a mall and AirBNBs,” a local stated.
Earlier, former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua condemned the overnight demolitions, describing them as senseless and inhuman.
He slammed the government for its lack of compassion and for robbing the business owners of their dignity.
