Traders Count Heavy Losses as KeNHA Demolitions Rock Githurai, Gachagua Slams Government

By Irine Chebet, Nairobi

Small-scale traders operating along Thika Road in Githurai were left counting heavy losses after their kiosks and makeshift stalls were demolished in a crackdown by the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA), a move that also threatens to dent local economic activity and county revenue.

The Wednesday evening operation saw excavators, escorted by hundreds of police officers, flatten wooden stalls, iron sheet kiosks and temporary sheds erected on what the authority described as a road reserve along the busy Githurai stretch of the Thika Superhighway.

By nightfall, piles of twisted iron sheets, broken timber and scattered merchandise lined sections of the service lanes as traders scrambled to salvage what they could.

Witnesses said the demolition teams arrived shortly before dusk under tight security, catching many traders off guard.

Several business owners claimed they had operated in the area for years and accused authorities of heavy-handedness.

While some acknowledged receiving verbal warnings, they said they were unprepared for the abrupt enforcement that wiped out their source of livelihood.

KeNHA has maintained that road reserves are protected corridors meant to guarantee safety, allow for future road expansion and prevent obstruction of highways.

According to the agency, structures erected on these corridors pose risks to motorists and pedestrians and interfere with drainage systems and infrastructure maintenance.

In recent months, the authority has intensified crackdowns on encroachment along major highways, citing traffic safety and urban planning concerns.

However, the demolitions have sparked sharp political reactions. Opposition leader Rigathi Gachagua strongly condemned the operation, terming it “both senseless and inhuman.”

In a statement, Gachagua criticized the deployment of hundreds of police officers in what he described as a night operation to destroy traders’ property and intimidate ordinary citizens.

“Such actions are a grave affront to human dignity and reflect a regime that has lost all sense of compassion and justice,” he said.

The leader of the Democracy Citizens Party accused the government of treating struggling citizens like criminals while ignoring economic hardships brought about by poor policies.

He further took aim at Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, accusing him of misplaced priorities.

Gachagua questioned the urgency of the Githurai demolitions, contrasting the heavy police presence there with what he described as inadequate action in Isiolo, where a deputy principal was recently killed by bandits.

He expressed solidarity with residents of Githurai and Isiolo, insisting that constitutional rights must be upheld even as authorities enforce the law.

By Thursday, the once-vibrant roadside trading hub had turned into a scene of rubble and tension, highlighting the difficult balance between urban planning enforcement and protecting livelihoods in a struggling economy.