Thousands of Makongeni residents are staring at an uncertain future as the Kenyan government pushes forward with plans to evict them by December 2, 2025, to pave the way for an ambitious affordable housing project.
This move, part of President William Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza bottom-up transformative agenda, has sparked widespread protests and condemnation, with residents, some of whom have called Makongeni home for over six decades, decrying inadequate compensation and a lack of dignified relocation plans.
The eviction notice affects approximately 8,000 households across 167 acres, including Makongeni, Jericho, Maringo, Bahati, Shauri Moyo, and Kaloleni estates.
Residents under the Railways Staff Retirement Benefit Scheme were offered a relocation facilitation fee of approximately Ksh150,000, an amount they argue falls significantly short of initial agreements and the cost of living in Nairobi.
Presidential aspirant Reuben Kigame has strongly criticized the government’s approach, labeling it “development without dignity” and vowing to sue if residents’ rights are not protected.
Recent protests have turned chaotic, with police firing shots to disperse demonstrators at the Railways precincts in Nairobi.
Residents have also blocked Jogoo Road, setting bonfires and disrupting traffic, to voice their opposition to the planned demolitions.
Concerns extend beyond housing, with fears that Makongeni Grounds, a community facility vital for local sports talent, may be lost in the redevelopment.
While the government asserts the project is a “people-centred engagement exercise” with extensive consultation and no forced evictions, residents and community leaders maintain they were not properly informed or consulted, and that the compensation is insufficient to secure alternative housing.
