In the last two months, Kenya as a whole has experienced one of the worst cases of flooding in recent history. Kenya’s capital, Nairobi was especially hard hit with many homes both in informal settlements, otherwise known as slums, and more affluent neighbourhoods with multi-million shillings homes waking up to flooded houses and destruction of property. It is estimated that the death toll from the floods is closer to 300 people with many reported missing.

Though various historical factors both environmental and systemic corruption, including the illegal construction of homes on water ways and along riparian land near rivers, are to blame for the destruction and death, it is the official government response to the tragedy that is the current cause for concern.

Since the flooding began and as many people were rendered homeless and others buried their loved ones, the government was slow to respond. In fact, a lot of the rescue and emergency response was done by the Kenya Red Cross, ISHR volunteers, and organized community groupings in the various affected neighbourhoods.

In the more affluent areas, where some of the houses were submerged up to the roof level, with TV media crews only accessing them via boats, neighbourhood associations brought in water pumps to remove the water from their flooded homes. This was possible because they could afford the very expensive rates charged by the service providers, while on the other hand, those living in slums woke up to many homes and people missing as they had been carried away by flood waters at night whilst they slept. It is estimated that over 150,000 people in the various slums dotting Nairobi were directly affected. We as the human rights defenders community of Nairobi also lost a comrade and her entire family.

In early May, the Kenyan Government through the Ministry of Interior ordered the demolition of structures built on waterways and riparian land near Nairobi Rivers. Though this is a step in the right direction in order to ensure there is no flooding in the future, it is the selective application of our laws and the illegal and inhumane manner in which the demolitions are being carried out that must be condemned.

The order from the Minister was and continues to be carried out in areas occupied by the poor only, leaving the multi-million shilling homes and buildings in affluent areas intact. In some parts of Nairobi where the middle class and the rich have built on one side of a river and the poor on the other, only the structures made of mud and iron sheets that the poor of Nairobi call home are being demolished, leaving the other richer side intact.

The Government gave residents in informal settlements 48 hours to move and look for alternative accommodation before descending on poor neighbourhoods with bulldozers and excavators to demolish their homes. There have also been reports of people dying inside their houses and as recent as last week, police shot dead a young man who was attempting to salvage some items from their home which was being demolished. More than 20 people have since lost their lives from the ongoing demolitions and the numbers may be higher than reported.

After public outcry from citizens and human rights defenders, the government offered a compensation fee of 70 euros per family which is not only insufficient but there is also little evidence to show that those deserving of the money are receiving it. This situation has left many Nairobians homeless with only the clothes on their back and the little they could salvage left in their possession. Though the rains have reduced in their intensity, victims are still sleeping outdoors in makeshift homes made from polythene bags and those lucky enough to be housed by friends and relatives are attempting to recollect their lives. These illegal and inhumane demolitions are continuing with the bulldozers moving from neighbourhood to neighbourhood.

In the last two months, the ISHR-Kenya chapter has joined other human rights defenders in calling for an immediate halt to the demolitions in order to end the humanitarian disaster this crisis has brought. ISHR-Kenya also partnered to organize the public to go out in large numbers to the streets of our capital city, Nairobi to protest and deliver petitions to various government agencies on the selective and class-biased application of our laws and targeted demolition areas. This public protest was highly successful and peaceful until a private militia working for the current governor of Nairobi violently disrupted us.

We have also rallied for donations of clothing, mattresses, blankets, foodstuff, diapers and sanitary items to those affected, from friends of ISHR-Kenya. Unfortunately, the demolitions will not end soon as more informal settlements are targeted for demolitions and the government is not engaging the citizenry in coming up with human rights-based solutions.

With the help of our International ISHR community, I as our local representative will appreciate your support in alleviating the suffering of the Kenyan people by calling on Kenya’s government to stop the unfair demolitions and also donating in any way or form to give them a decent transition as they attempt to re-build their lives. We are in urgent need for beddings, food and relocations of the very needy and elderly.

Wanjeri Nderu
ISHR President Kenya