Thousands of Nairobi residents risk eviction as the county and national governments ramp up the plan to designate the Nairobi river corridor as a Special Planning Area. Aside from the evictions, the residents also risk the loss of property worth millions if the plans to go ahead with the project bear fruit. In early March, the county government of Nairobi issued a special notice making the declaration and invited members of the public to submit their views on the issue within two weeks.
The notice issued by the County Executive Committee Member for Environment, Patrick Mbogo, indicated that the designated area will cover a 60-metre buffer zone beyond the high-water mark on each side of the river-comprising a 30-metre riparian corridor and an additional 30-metre development area.
Undated photo of social workers cleaning Nairobi River File It will see the Nairobi River Corridor extend from Naivasha Road to Ruai, including its tributaries, and will enable the preparation of a Local Physical Development and Land Use Plan that will provide a framework for river regeneration, flood hazard mitigation, and riparian land-use redevelopment of the land.
The plan will also support the construction of social and affordable housing and associated social and physical infrastructure and will include a financing structure for the development of the special planning area.
