Chaos as police clash with residents during Mukuru kwa Njenga demolitions
Nairobi
By
Okumu Modachi
| Jan 20, 2026
Residents engage police in running battles during the demolition of houses and business premises in Mukuru kwa Njenga, Embakasi South, Nairobi, on January 20, 2026. [Kanyiri Wahito, Standard]
Tension was high in Mukuru kwa Njenga, Embakasi, on Tuesday morning as residents protested against demolitions, triggering running battles with police.
Amid the chaos, bulldozers moved in to demolish business premises and houses. Residents said the demolitions along the narrow stretch of Catherine Ndereba Road began around 5am.
Residents were angered after it emerged that one of them had allegedly been shot by police, sparking chaos. The Standard could not independently verify the claims.
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“This incident has upset us greatly. The police are supposed to protect human rights,” said Daniel Ekakoro, one of the residents.
“Why are they oppressing us?” posed Caleb Abuga, a resident of Mukuru kwa Njenga.
“If there are houses that need to be demolished, they should do it in the right way,” he added, lamenting what he described as short notice that did not allow residents to salvage their property.
Residents said they were given three days to vacate. A woman is overcome by emotions during the demolition of houses and business premises in Mukuru kwa Njenga, Embakasi South, Nairobi, on January 20, 2026. [Kanyiri Wahito, Standard]
“People are supposed to be given three months. What was the hurry?” said Abuga.
“They should have given at least enough time for people to move their belongings. That time is too short to organise, because some people also live far away,” he added.
Traders watched helplessly as iron-sheet kiosks, wooden stalls and semi-permanent structures were brought down by bulldozers. The Standard also observed one of the schools in the area, Lorento Springs Academy, being demolished.
“My house has been brought down. Ruto, help us. I was teargassed while defending my rights. Now I don’t know where I will sleep with my children, and I don’t know if they will continue going to school,” said Lilian Odera, a victim.
An elderly woman confronts police officers during demolitions in Mukuru kwa Njenga, Embakasi South, Nairobi, on January 20, 2026. [Kanyiri Wahito, Standard]
Cries of anguish pierced the air as residents stared in disbelief, with some hurling profanities at the government and police officers deployed to oversee the demolition.
Hundreds of residents poured onto the road, barricading it with stones and rubble and blocking traffic. Police lobbed teargas canisters to disperse them.
“Right now young people have no jobs. Some depend on boda bodas, and women rely on these stalls to feed their families,” decried Abuga, appealing to President William Ruto to intervene.