Nairobi: Govt Starts Fencing Off Riparian Land As Over 40k Families Move To Safer Grounds

• The 40,000 households who willingly left the riparian land in Mathare to get priority in the allocation of affordable housing
• Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki said the government applauded the move by residents as it keeps its pledge for the KSh 10,000 monthly stipends
• Kindiki said the government has started fencing off, planting trees, and digging trenches to reclaim the riparian reserves in the Mathare, Nairobi, and Ngong rivers

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki said that the government applauds Kenyans' move out of riparian land in Nairobi.

Speaking after visiting Mathare area, Kindiki said the government is in the process of evacuating Kenyans living around Nairobi River Ecosystem.

Kindiki said over 181,000 people in 40,000 households have voluntarily relocated to the reserves of the Nairobi, Mathare, and Ngong rivers.

"The Government appreciates the cooperation of members of the public in the ongoing program to evacuate persons whose presence on riparian corridors within the Nairobi Rivers Ecosystem poses grave danger to their lives," Kindiki said.

What is next after leaving the area?

He affirmed that the government's honoring of the KSh 10,000 stipend would encourage affected residents to look for alternative rental settlements as it searches for alternative land to settle them on.

Kindiki announced that the government will prioritize the affected families, locating the affordable housing program.

"The Government has already honored the pledge to support each household with Ksh.10,000 per household to support them settling on alternative rental premises. The families will be given priority in the Affordable Housing Program," he announced.

The residents will also benefit from the government's program by offering labour in planting trees, digging trenches and fencing in the bid to reclaim the riparian reserves.

"The reclaimed riparian reserves are being trenched, fenced and the planting of riverine ecosystem trees is underway. The Government will utilise paid labour from local community and purchase seedlings from local Community Based Organisations (CBOs) and youth groups in the reclamation and regeneration of the riparian corridor ecosystem," he added.

Government crackdown on riparian lands

On May 10, Kindiki had said the government will not take lightly on adamant Kenyans residing on riparian land as government will forcefully remove them.

Additionally, Kindiki warned individuals who have built tall houses and those practicing farming around riparian reserves as it is prohibited by the government.

Earlier residents of Runda had formed a committee to help residents of Mathare wrecked with havoc to vacate the riparian land together with the government.