Nairobi, January 14- On the night of Tuesday, January 13, several commercial properties valued at millions of shillings were demolished in an overnight operation near Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi. The exercise was carried out along Douglas Wakiihiru Road, behind the stadium, with heavy machinery deployed under police supervision to clear the area for an upcoming infrastructure project.
Businesses affected by the demolition included car yards, a car wash, restaurants, and other commercial establishments. Some of the properties were reportedly linked to a sitting county governor. During the operation, burning tyres were spotted along the road, indicating resistance from traders and residents opposed to the demolitions.
Authorities maintained that the affected business owners had been issued with multiple notices to vacate the land before the operation. The clearance is part of preparations for a planned train station that will link Nairobi’s Central Business District to Nyayo Stadium and the proposed Talanta Stadium.
This is not the first time demolitions have taken place in the area. In 2019, a similar exercise saw a car bazaar and other structures opposite Nyayo Stadium pulled down as part of government efforts to reclaim public land, an operation that also caused major traffic disruptions along Lang’ata Road.
The latest demolitions come amid ongoing concerns over forced evictions in Nairobi, following previous incidents such as the clearing of traders’ stalls in Ngara to pave the way for housing developments.
