Squatters in Marurui, Kasarani area of Nairobi, temporarily paralysed transport along the Northern Bypass while protesting alleged land grabbing by a private developer. They claim to have lived on the land for many years and are calling for intervention from Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja and President William Ruto. The protest involved barricades of tree trunks and burning tyres.
Transport along the Northern Bypass was temporarily paralysed as squatters in Marurui, Kasarani area of Nairobi, staged protests over alleged land grabbing by a private developer. The protesters blocked the road with huge tree trunks, burning tyres, logs and stones, vowing not to leave the land home to over 6,000 residents. Footage showed dozens of men, some wearing helmets, masks and reflective vests, forming barricades amid thick black smoke.
One protester stated, “I was born here, my whole family is here, and I am raising my kids here as well. If they chase us from here, I have no other place to go.” They claim the private developer is a powerful politician and have called on Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja and President William Ruto to intervene.
The Marurui land involves a complex mix of private property, public utility land and squatter settlements, with several high-profile disputes unresolved. The Jua Kali settlement alone houses over 6,000 residents on a 7-acre parcel occupied for more than two decades. Contested areas include a 4-acre parcel near Windsor Golf Club, claimed by the late Super Minister John Michuki’s family and the Nairobi County Government, where construction was halted by the Environment and Land Court in April last year.
