This archive report was first published on 23 November 2019.
Nairobi's ambitious housing renewal plan, part of the Urban Renewal and Housing Regeneration Programme, is facing significant delays and controversy. The plan, which aims to upgrade thousands of low-income houses, has been stalled for almost four years due to protracted disputes between the Nairobi City County (NCC) and the targeted beneficiaries.
According to the plan, the NCC is set to replace 15,000 old houses with 117,000 new ones, targeting estates such as Old and New Ngara, Jeevanjee, Suna Road, Ngong Road Phases one and two, Bachelors Quarters, and Pangani. The project, valued at over Sh50 billion, is expected to be carried out through a public-private partnership (PPP) arrangement with six developers.
However, residents of Jevanjee and Old Bachelors Quarters Estate have accused Governor Mike Sonko of breaking the law by planning to forcibly evict them. The residents, who have been tenants of the Nairobi County Government for over 52 years, claim that the county has not executed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) dated March 2016, which guarantees zero displacements and zero forced eviction of sitting tenants.
Residents' Secretary Leonard Obonyo stated that despite the existence of the MOU, tenants have been ordered to vacate the houses in thirty days to pave way for the needed refurbishment. Obonyo further emphasized that the residents have no obligation to exit unless the terms of the MOU were fully executed.
Programmes Officer Samuel Olando from the Economic and Social Rights Centre (Hakijamii) asked Governor Sonko to review the terms of the compensation, noting that it was way too inadequate. Olando stated that the County Government has offered cheques of Sh600,000, which is significantly lower than the current rent prices of a three-bedroomed house in Ngara, which is Sh50,000.
Other demands to the County include that the Governor withdraws with immediate effect eviction letters to all sitting tenants and provides them with an agreement duly executed indicating the terms of exit and re-entry back to the estate after completion of the re-development.
