This archive report was first published on 11 May 2020.
On May 11, 2020, a nationwide curfew was in place in Kenya due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with residents required to stay indoors from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m.
However, the situation in Nairobi's Kariobangi neighborhood was far from calm. City officials had begun demolishing homes and shops on Monday, citing that they were built on government land without proper authorization.
The demolition left an estimated 7,000 people homeless, sparking widespread protests in the Korogocho slum and beyond. Demonstrators took to the streets, setting fire to tires and building barricades in a bid to express their discontent.
Police responded with force, using water cannons, tear gas, and live ammunition to disperse the crowds. Rights activists have criticized the government for the timing of the forced evictions, citing the COVID-19 pandemic as a reason to delay such actions.
