Operations in Githurai came to a standstill on Tuesday as traders took to the streets to protest a planned eviction that they claim is being driven by personal interests rather than infrastructural development. The demonstrators, numbering in the tens, barricaded roads and burned tyres, disrupting transport on the busy route that connects Githurai to the Thika Superhighway.
The traders accused a well-known businessperson from the area of colluding with government officials to have them forcibly removed. According to them, the individual is scheming to construct modern kiosks on the same land, pushing out small-scale traders who have operated in the area for years.
The uproar followed the marking of their stalls for demolition by the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA). This move came after the expiry of an earlier-issued notice, which the traders insist was unjust.
A letter from KURA whose authenticity journalists could not independently verify stated that the traders had encroached on the five-kilometer Githurai-Mwihoko road, making their structures illegal. The letter further indicated that the traders had previously been advised to vacate the premises but had failed to comply. As a result, KURA warned that the removal of the structures would be enforced at the traders’ own cost. Additionally, those defying the directive would face criminal charges under Section 49(6) of the Roads Act 2007.
Despite these warnings, the traders remain defiant, alleging that the eviction is not about road expansion but rather a ploy to displace them for the benefit of a few well-connected individuals.
One of the traders, speaking amid the protest, questioned the government’s true intentions: “If this is about the road, why have they not shown us an expansion plan? Why are they targeting us and not other businesses along this route? This is corruption at play!”
The protests have intensified as traders demand clarity from the government regarding the fate of their businesses. Many have called for intervention from political leaders, urging them to halt what they term as economic sabotage.
For now, tensions remain high, with both the traders and authorities holding firm on their stances. If no compromise is reached soon, Githurai is likely to witness continued unrest as traders fight to protect their livelihoods.
