Traders operating along Thika Superhighway in the Roysambu area woke up to heavy losses after a demolition exercise targeting structures built on the road reserve was carried out in the early hours of Thursday morning.
The operation, led by officers from the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) and backed by a large contingent of security personnel, began at around 1:20am, with roadside kiosks, stalls and small shops being brought down using heavy machinery.
Many traders who depended on the businesses for their livelihoods were left devastated as the demolitions progressed, with families watching helplessly as structures near the Shell petrol station in Roysambu were flattened.
Witnesses said hundreds of officers had been deployed to secure the area during the exercise, which stretched into the morning hours and triggered heavy traffic along sections of Thika Road as motorists slowed down to observe the unfolding events.
According to KeNHA, the demolished structures had encroached on the road reserve and posed a serious safety risk to motorists and pedestrians using the busy highway corridor.
The authority indicated that the demolition exercise in Roysambu had been planned following the expiry of an earlier notice issued to traders ordering them to vacate the area voluntarily.
KeNHA further revealed that the exercise forms part of major plans to reorganise public transport operations along Thika Road, including the construction of a modern bus park similar to the one proposed in the Githurai area.
The agency maintained that the developments are intended to provide designated pick-up and drop-off points for buses and matatus, a move expected to improve order, enhance commuter safety and ease congestion along the busy highway.
However, the demolitions sparked criticism from some leaders and residents, with Nairobi DCP Patron and gubernatorial aspirant Irungu Nyakera accusing the government of carrying out the exercise without empathy for affected traders.
Nyakera criticised what he termed as a disconnect between government promises of transforming Nairobi into a modern city and the reality of traders losing their sources of income through abrupt demolitions.
“With the cooperation agreement between Nairobi City County Government and National Government in place, it’s now evident that they will demolish everything in their sight without empathy,” Nyakera said.
The demolitions come weeks after a similar exercise in Githurai sparked protests, with traders clashing with police officers and lighting bonfires that temporarily paralysed transport along parts of the Thika Superhighway.
Despite the backlash, KeNHA insists the ongoing crackdown on unlawful structures will continue in other areas, including Kahawa West, as part of efforts to reclaim road reserves and enhance safety along one of the country’s busiest transport corridors-Kenyans.co.ke.
