Following the government’s directive to demolish all structures built on riparian land, residents of Soweto, Nairobi claim they are yet to receive the Ksh.10,000 compensation promised by state.
Residents in the Riverbank area say they live in anxiety as they await the demolition process that began last month which has left some homeless.
To salvage what they can, they have resorted to using hammers to bring down their own homes to sell bricks and other materials before the excavators take action.
Robert Kihara a community leader claimed they were not given prior notice of the demolition of their houses.
“We have not been given any notice and even if we are given where do we go from here,” he lamented.
They claim that the demolition exercise, which was to be restricted to 30 meters from the river, has not been observed as authorities are demolishing houses beyond the said limit.
“They come to mark our homes and they are beyond the marked 30-metre line,” another resident said.
They claim that essential social amenities such as schools and churches have also been brought down.
Despite these claims, the area chief asserted that notices were issued well in advance, and residents, especially those near Ngong River, were expected to relocate before the demolition began.
The government issued the directive following the effects of the devastating floods last month, which displaced over 200,000 people from their homes.