Fury As Govt Demolishes Houses In Mukuru Kwa Reuben: "Tulikupigia Kura Ndio Ubomoe Nyumba"

• Residents of Mukuru kwa Rueben lost their property on Friday, May 3 as their houses were demolished
• The residents decried that the government did not issue them with an evacuation notice telling them to move from riverbanks
• Interior CS Kithure Kindiki issued a statement on Thursday, May 2 ordering people living close to water bodies to evacuate within 24 hours

Residents of Mukuru kwa Rueben have found themselves counting losses after the government ordered the demolishing of their houses.

The houses that were mostly made out of iron sheets were trampled on and destroyed by bulldozers on Friday, May 3.

The demolished houses were said to be near riverbanks.

In a video shared by Citizen TV, Residents watched helplessly as the bulldozers brought down their houses.

They claimed they were not given any notice to move their belongings from the houses.

" My house is the one that is currently being demolished. I don't even have clothes to wear, and I have nowhere to go," one resident said in tears.

" We are in the dark, we have no power. We have no one to defend us. We voted for Ruto, why are they destroying our houses," another resident said.

The residents emphasised that their tears and prayers would be heard by God, who they believe will defend them.

Why were the houses demolished?

The houses that were brought down in Mukuru kwa Rueben were those that were located near the riverbanks.

The Ngong River runs through the area and sometimes causes flooding in the slums during heavy rains.

The government thus ordered the houses to be demolished in order to prevent more deaths caused by floods in the country.

When did the government issue the order?

Interior Cabinet Secretary (CS) Kithure Kindiki, in a statement dated Thursday, May 2, stated all individuals living within the 30-meter riparian corridor of rivers and other watercourses nationwide to evacuate immediately for their safety.

Additionally, he said settlements unlawfully established on riparian land are to be removed.

He also ordered residents adjacent to dams and water reservoirs to evacuate immediately, within 24 hours as of Thursday, May 2.

He said that those who will not comply will be forcelly removed.

Mai Mahiu floods

In the morning of Monday, April 29, the Nairobi-Naivasha Highway near Mai-Mahiu experienced a distressing event as floodwaters engulfed multiple vehicles at 3 a.m.

According to a report by Ramogi TV, the floods occurred after Kijabe River breached its banks, and swept away people and properties.

What else you need to know about floods

• KenGen’s managing director and CEO, Peter Njenga, urged communities living within the vicinity of Masinga Dam to consider relocation.
• Uhuru Kenyatta donated KSh 2 million to assist in rescue operations in areas affected by floods.
• The weatherman urged Kenyans to stay prepared, adding that the rains would affect most parts of Nairobi.

Proofreading by Nyambura Guthua, journalist and copy editor at TUKO.co.ke