Fueled by anger and frustration, Nairobi residents took to the streets on Thursday, May 16th, to voice their outrage over the city’s poor planning. The protest comes in the wake of recent heavy rains that caused widespread flooding, displacing thousands, destroying property, and claiming lives.
Waving placards that read “Colonialism never really ended, Sakaja must go” and “Poverty is modern-day slavery,” protestors blamed Governor Johnson Sakaja’s administration for the city’s vulnerability to floods. They accused the county of allowing unregulated building construction and a lack of adherence to proper planning standards.
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Videos shared by the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) captured the intensity of the protest. One resident passionately declared,
“This corruption has made Nairobi unlivable! Buildings are going up without proper procedures, and it all goes through Sakaja’s office. He can’t pretend he doesn’t know!”
The protestors demanded accountability from Governor Sakaja. They questioned his inaction and urged him to address their concerns.
“How long will you stay in office and leave Nairobi in this state?” one protestor challenged. “We will not stop until we are heard. We will take this to court if necessary!”
The recent flooding disaster adds weight to the protestors’ claims. According to the Kenya Red Cross, several areas in Nairobi were severely affected, displacing over 411,000 people and damaging nearly 59,000 households.
