More Nairobi residents living around the Nairobi River will soon be homeless as the government vowed to continue with its plan to clean and reclaim riparian land along the water body.
The plan, on its second face of rehabilitation, saw more than 40,000 people evicted from their homes in its first phase.
Speaking at the Kenya School of Law on Monday where he was meeting National Administrators from Nairobi, President William Ruto vowed to continue with his plan to clean the river, maintaining that Nairobi must reclaim its former glories.
“The city of Nairobi is the face of Kenya, and we must get it right in the city as we get it right in the country”, Ruto stated.
President William Ruto during an address at the Kenya School of Government on Monday, September 16. Photo: Screengrab/ State House Kenya.
The president directed National Administration officers to take charge of clearing the river in their respective jurisdictions.
“I am going to work with the county and the entire leadership of Nairobi to ensure that we improve on the image of Nairobi, and I need the support of all the leaders and especially Members of the National government administration”.
Reassuring his support to the President and the Nairobi River cleaning course, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki vowed to ensure that nobody blocks the plan.
“Nobody should politicize or bring in other issues on the cleaning of Nairobi river, it is irrevocable, it is a national security matter and we are not turning back”, Kindiki reassured.
The issue of evicting Nairobi residents living around the Nairobi River brought a rift between President William Ruto and his deputy Rigathi Gachagua in May when residents living around the river were evicted due to the floods.
Gachagua did not deem it fit that residents were being evicted without notice and went ahead to criticize Ruto’s move terming it as going against the promises he had made to Kenyans before clinching the presidency.
“Let us not have a war with wananchi, let’s not fight the same people who voted for us, If people must move, let there be an engagement and let people get adequate notice so they can prepare for their next life ahead.”
“You cannot wake up one morning and terminate people’s lives”, Gachagua said in June, while reacting to the evictions.
The Ruto administration is planning to clean the Nairobi River in its new Climate Worx project and is looking to employ, more than 20,000 youths to do the job.
A photo of second-hand clothes dumped into Nairobi River at Gikomba Market.
Photo
John Mbati
