On the night of 18 February at around midnight and after Kenyans celebrated the 52nd anniversary of our hero Kimaathi Wachiuri, city council tractors embarked on demolishing all structures on Mwariro market in Kariokor. The land, measuring about 42 acres, has been supporting at least 3,000 poor Kenyans. By the next morning of 19 February all the structures had been brought down and the residents had lost all their wares. Several residents were shot at by administration policemen on that night...read more
On the night of 18 February at around midnight and after Kenyans celebrated the 52nd anniversary of our hero Kimaathi Wachiuri, city council tractors embarked on demolishing all structures on Mwariro market in Kariokor. The land, measuring about 42 acres, has been supporting at least 3,000 poor Kenyans. By the next morning of 19 February all the structures had been brought down and the residents had lost all their wares. Several residents were shot at by administration policemen on that night, and were treated and discharged at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH). The land is said to have been allocated to a private developer of Somali nationality by the former MP Maina Kamanda and the current Councillor Muchiri. On contacting the area the MP seems to have failed to secure the land on behalf of the residents. Today, the residents are being hoodwinked to move to another piece of land in Ngara, which is not empty… It is now a month since this demolition occurred. is calling for action to stop this continued harassment of poor citizens. We shall be mobilising locals in the area to stop the demolition and construction of any new property on this land. We are asking our friends of Bunge La Mwananchi to join us to restore the livelihoods of the Kariakor people. We will stop this by any means necessary!
For and on behalf of Bunge La Mwananchi – Kariakor network
* Francis Wambugu is with – Kariakor network, the Kenyan people’s parliament.
