Mukuru Residents Protest Eviction Fears Amidst Affordable Housing Rollout

Mukuru Kwa Reuben residents are protesting alleged eviction plans to make way for additional government-built units under the Affordable Housing Programme. On Wednesday, May 21, a section of the community occupied a local police station, seeking to prevent their displacement.

This action follows President William Ruto’s official handover of 1,080 housing units to beneficiaries at the Mukuru housing project in Embakasi South on Tuesday, May 20. The broader project spans 56 acres and is slated to include a total of 13,248 housing units, comprising bedsitters, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom apartments.

However, concerns have emerged that the government intends to evict residents from another part of the slum to construct more houses. On May 21, the Mukuru Community Justice Centre (MCJC) led residents in occupying the Villa Police Station. They claim there are plans for evictions without any provision for resettlement.

The MCJC has refuted claims that slum dwellers have benefited from the newly constructed houses, labeling such reports as misleading and a diversionary tactic. The organization condemned the proposed evictions, describing the affordable housing initiative as a means to displace community members for “selfish ends.”

“Reports that Mukuru kwa Njenga residents benefited from the affordable housing project are misleading,” the MCJC stated. “This is a tactic to evict Mukuru Kwa Njenga community members. We resist any planned forced evictions by the state.”

Meanwhile, President Ruto, on May 20, defended the government’s Affordable Housing program against criticism that the new high-rise units are merely “vertical slums.” He dismissed the notion that his housing projects would not benefit economically struggling Kenyans.

“Ladies and gentlemen, this is not a vertical slum. There’s a misguided tendency to equate density with deprivation. A slum is not defined by population size, but by the absence of services, safety, and dignity,” the President asserted. He also assured Mukuru residents that the homes would be accompanied by essential infrastructure to ensure a decent standard of living for low-income Kenyans, including modern markets to support local businesses.