Chaos as police clash with residents during Mukuru kwa Njenga demolitions

Residents engage police in running battles during the demolition of houses and business premises in Mukuru kwa Njenga, Embakasi South, Nairobi, on January 20, 2026.[Kanyiri Wahito, Standard]

Tension was high in Mukuru kwa Njenga, Embakasi, on Tuesday morning as residents protested against demolitions, triggering running battles with police.Amid the chaos, bulldozers moved in to demolish business premises and houses. Residents said the demolitions along the narrow stretch of Catherine Ndereba Road began around 5am.Residents were angered after it emerged that one of them had allegedly been shot by police, sparking chaos.The Standardcould not independently verify the claims.Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsApp“This incident has upset us greatly. The police are supposed to protect human rights,” said Daniel Ekakoro, one of the residents.“Why are they oppressing us?” posed Caleb Abuga, a resident of Mukuru kwa Njenga.“If there are houses that need to be demolished, they should do it in the right way,” he added, lamenting what he described as short notice that did not allow residents to salvage their property.Residents said they were given three days to vacate.A woman is overcome by emotions during the demolition of houses and business premises in Mukuru kwa Njenga, Embakasi South, Nairobi, on January 20, 2026.[Kanyiri Wahito, Standard]“People are supposed to be given three months. What was the hurry?” said Abuga.“They should have given at least enough time for people to move their belongings. That time is too short to organise, because some people also live far away,” he added.Traders watched helplessly as iron-sheet kiosks, wooden stalls and semi-permanent structures were brought down by bulldozers.The Standardalso observed one of the schools in the area, Lorento Springs Academy, being demolished.“My house has been brought down. Ruto, help us. I was teargassed whiledefending my rights. Now I don’t know where I will sleep with my children, and I don’t know if they will continue going to school,” said Lilian Odera, a victim.An elderly woman confronts police officers during demolitions in Mukuru kwa Njenga, Embakasi South, Nairobi, on January 20, 2026.[Kanyiri Wahito, Standard]Stay informed. Subscribe to our newsletterBy clicking on theSIGN UPbutton, you agree to ourTerms & Conditionsand thePrivacy PolicySIGN UPCries of anguish pierced the air as residents stared in disbelief, with some hurling profanities at the government and police officers deployed to oversee the demolition.Stay Informed, Stay Empowered: Download the Standard ePaper App!Hundreds of residents poured onto the road, barricading it with stones and rubble and blocking traffic. Police lobbed teargas canisters to disperse them.“Right now young people have no jobs. Some depend on boda bodas, and women rely on these stalls to feed their families,” decried Abuga, appealing to President William Ruto to intervene.Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsApp

Amid the chaos, bulldozers moved in to demolish business premises and houses. Residents said the demolitions along the narrow stretch of Catherine Ndereba Road began around 5am.Residents were angered after it emerged that one of them had allegedly been shot by police, sparking chaos.The Standardcould not independently verify the claims.Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsApp“This incident has upset us greatly. The police are supposed to protect human rights,” said Daniel Ekakoro, one of the residents.“Why are they oppressing us?” posed Caleb Abuga, a resident of Mukuru kwa Njenga.“If there are houses that need to be demolished, they should do it in the right way,” he added, lamenting what he described as short notice that did not allow residents to salvage their property.Residents said they were given three days to vacate.A woman is overcome by emotions during the demolition of houses and business premises in Mukuru kwa Njenga, Embakasi South, Nairobi, on January 20, 2026.[Kanyiri Wahito, Standard]“People are supposed to be given three months. What was the hurry?” said Abuga.“They should have given at least enough time for people to move their belongings. That time is too short to organise, because some people also live far away,” he added.Traders watched helplessly as iron-sheet kiosks, wooden stalls and semi-permanent structures were brought down by bulldozers.The Standardalso observed one of the schools in the area, Lorento Springs Academy, being demolished.“My house has been brought down. Ruto, help us. I was teargassed whiledefending my rights. Now I don’t know where I will sleep with my children, and I don’t know if they will continue going to school,” said Lilian Odera, a victim.An elderly woman confronts police officers during demolitions in Mukuru kwa Njenga, Embakasi South, Nairobi, on January 20, 2026.[Kanyiri Wahito, Standard]Stay informed. Subscribe to our newsletterBy clicking on theSIGN UPbutton, you agree to ourTerms & Conditionsand thePrivacy PolicySIGN UPCries of anguish pierced the air as residents stared in disbelief, with some hurling profanities at the government and police officers deployed to oversee the demolition.Stay Informed, Stay Empowered: Download the Standard ePaper App!Hundreds of residents poured onto the road, barricading it with stones and rubble and blocking traffic. Police lobbed teargas canisters to disperse them.“Right now young people have no jobs. Some depend on boda bodas, and women rely on these stalls to feed their families,” decried Abuga, appealing to President William Ruto to intervene.Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsApp

Residents were angered after it emerged that one of them had allegedly been shot by police, sparking chaos.The Standardcould not independently verify the claims.Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsApp“This incident has upset us greatly. The police are supposed to protect human rights,” said Daniel Ekakoro, one of the residents.“Why are they oppressing us?” posed Caleb Abuga, a resident of Mukuru kwa Njenga.“If there are houses that need to be demolished, they should do it in the right way,” he added, lamenting what he described as short notice that did not allow residents to salvage their property.Residents said they were given three days to vacate.A woman is overcome by emotions during the demolition of houses and business premises in Mukuru kwa Njenga, Embakasi South, Nairobi, on January 20, 2026.[Kanyiri Wahito, Standard]“People are supposed to be given three months. What was the hurry?” said Abuga.“They should have given at least enough time for people to move their belongings. That time is too short to organise, because some people also live far away,” he added.Traders watched helplessly as iron-sheet kiosks, wooden stalls and semi-permanent structures were brought down by bulldozers.The Standardalso observed one of the schools in the area, Lorento Springs Academy, being demolished.“My house has been brought down. Ruto, help us. I was teargassed whiledefending my rights. Now I don’t know where I will sleep with my children, and I don’t know if they will continue going to school,” said Lilian Odera, a victim.An elderly woman confronts police officers during demolitions in Mukuru kwa Njenga, Embakasi South, Nairobi, on January 20, 2026.[Kanyiri Wahito, Standard]Stay informed. Subscribe to our newsletterBy clicking on theSIGN UPbutton, you agree to ourTerms & Conditionsand thePrivacy PolicySIGN UPCries of anguish pierced the air as residents stared in disbelief, with some hurling profanities at the government and police officers deployed to oversee the demolition.Stay Informed, Stay Empowered: Download the Standard ePaper App!Hundreds of residents poured onto the road, barricading it with stones and rubble and blocking traffic. Police lobbed teargas canisters to disperse them.“Right now young people have no jobs. Some depend on boda bodas, and women rely on these stalls to feed their families,” decried Abuga, appealing to President William Ruto to intervene.Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsApp

“This incident has upset us greatly. The police are supposed to protect human rights,” said Daniel Ekakoro, one of the residents.“Why are they oppressing us?” posed Caleb Abuga, a resident of Mukuru kwa Njenga.“If there are houses that need to be demolished, they should do it in the right way,” he added, lamenting what he described as short notice that did not allow residents to salvage their property.Residents said they were given three days to vacate.A woman is overcome by emotions during the demolition of houses and business premises in Mukuru kwa Njenga, Embakasi South, Nairobi, on January 20, 2026.[Kanyiri Wahito, Standard]“People are supposed to be given three months. What was the hurry?” said Abuga.“They should have given at least enough time for people to move their belongings. That time is too short to organise, because some people also live far away,” he added.Traders watched helplessly as iron-sheet kiosks, wooden stalls and semi-permanent structures were brought down by bulldozers.The Standardalso observed one of the schools in the area, Lorento Springs Academy, being demolished.“My house has been brought down. Ruto, help us. I was teargassed whiledefending my rights. Now I don’t know where I will sleep with my children, and I don’t know if they will continue going to school,” said Lilian Odera, a victim.An elderly woman confronts police officers during demolitions in Mukuru kwa Njenga, Embakasi South, Nairobi, on January 20, 2026.[Kanyiri Wahito, Standard]Stay informed. Subscribe to our newsletterBy clicking on theSIGN UPbutton, you agree to ourTerms & Conditionsand thePrivacy PolicySIGN UPCries of anguish pierced the air as residents stared in disbelief, with some hurling profanities at the government and police officers deployed to oversee the demolition.Stay Informed, Stay Empowered: Download the Standard ePaper App!Hundreds of residents poured onto the road, barricading it with stones and rubble and blocking traffic. Police lobbed teargas canisters to disperse them.“Right now young people have no jobs. Some depend on boda bodas, and women rely on these stalls to feed their families,” decried Abuga, appealing to President William Ruto to intervene.Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsApp

“This incident has upset us greatly. The police are supposed to protect human rights,” said Daniel Ekakoro, one of the residents.“Why are they oppressing us?” posed Caleb Abuga, a resident of Mukuru kwa Njenga.“If there are houses that need to be demolished, they should do it in the right way,” he added, lamenting what he described as short notice that did not allow residents to salvage their property.Residents said they were given three days to vacate.A woman is overcome by emotions during the demolition of houses and business premises in Mukuru kwa Njenga, Embakasi South, Nairobi, on January 20, 2026.[Kanyiri Wahito, Standard]“People are supposed to be given three months. What was the hurry?” said Abuga.“They should have given at least enough time for people to move their belongings. That time is too short to organise, because some people also live far away,” he added.Traders watched helplessly as iron-sheet kiosks, wooden stalls and semi-permanent structures were brought down by bulldozers.The Standardalso observed one of the schools in the area, Lorento Springs Academy, being demolished.“My house has been brought down. Ruto, help us. I was teargassed whiledefending my rights. Now I don’t know where I will sleep with my children, and I don’t know if they will continue going to school,” said Lilian Odera, a victim.An elderly woman confronts police officers during demolitions in Mukuru kwa Njenga, Embakasi South, Nairobi, on January 20, 2026.[Kanyiri Wahito, Standard]Stay informed. Subscribe to our newsletterBy clicking on theSIGN UPbutton, you agree to ourTerms & Conditionsand thePrivacy PolicySIGN UPCries of anguish pierced the air as residents stared in disbelief, with some hurling profanities at the government and police officers deployed to oversee the demolition.Stay Informed, Stay Empowered: Download the Standard ePaper App!Hundreds of residents poured onto the road, barricading it with stones and rubble and blocking traffic. Police lobbed teargas canisters to disperse them.“Right now young people have no jobs. Some depend on boda bodas, and women rely on these stalls to feed their families,” decried Abuga, appealing to President William Ruto to intervene.Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsApp

“Why are they oppressing us?” posed Caleb Abuga, a resident of Mukuru kwa Njenga.“If there are houses that need to be demolished, they should do it in the right way,” he added, lamenting what he described as short notice that did not allow residents to salvage their property.Residents said they were given three days to vacate.A woman is overcome by emotions during the demolition of houses and business premises in Mukuru kwa Njenga, Embakasi South, Nairobi, on January 20, 2026.[Kanyiri Wahito, Standard]“People are supposed to be given three months. What was the hurry?” said Abuga.“They should have given at least enough time for people to move their belongings. That time is too short to organise, because some people also live far away,” he added.Traders watched helplessly as iron-sheet kiosks, wooden stalls and semi-permanent structures were brought down by bulldozers.The Standardalso observed one of the schools in the area, Lorento Springs Academy, being demolished.“My house has been brought down. Ruto, help us. I was teargassed whiledefending my rights. Now I don’t know where I will sleep with my children, and I don’t know if they will continue going to school,” said Lilian Odera, a victim.An elderly woman confronts police officers during demolitions in Mukuru kwa Njenga, Embakasi South, Nairobi, on January 20, 2026.[Kanyiri Wahito, Standard]Stay informed. Subscribe to our newsletterBy clicking on theSIGN UPbutton, you agree to ourTerms & Conditionsand thePrivacy PolicySIGN UPCries of anguish pierced the air as residents stared in disbelief, with some hurling profanities at the government and police officers deployed to oversee the demolition.Stay Informed, Stay Empowered: Download the Standard ePaper App!Hundreds of residents poured onto the road, barricading it with stones and rubble and blocking traffic. Police lobbed teargas canisters to disperse them.“Right now young people have no jobs. Some depend on boda bodas, and women rely on these stalls to feed their families,” decried Abuga, appealing to President William Ruto to intervene.Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsApp

“If there are houses that need to be demolished, they should do it in the right way,” he added, lamenting what he described as short notice that did not allow residents to salvage their property.Residents said they were given three days to vacate.A woman is overcome by emotions during the demolition of houses and business premises in Mukuru kwa Njenga, Embakasi South, Nairobi, on January 20, 2026.[Kanyiri Wahito, Standard]“People are supposed to be given three months. What was the hurry?” said Abuga.“They should have given at least enough time for people to move their belongings. That time is too short to organise, because some people also live far away,” he added.Traders watched helplessly as iron-sheet kiosks, wooden stalls and semi-permanent structures were brought down by bulldozers.The Standardalso observed one of the schools in the area, Lorento Springs Academy, being demolished.“My house has been brought down. Ruto, help us. I was teargassed whiledefending my rights. Now I don’t know where I will sleep with my children, and I don’t know if they will continue going to school,” said Lilian Odera, a victim.An elderly woman confronts police officers during demolitions in Mukuru kwa Njenga, Embakasi South, Nairobi, on January 20, 2026.[Kanyiri Wahito, Standard]Stay informed. Subscribe to our newsletterBy clicking on theSIGN UPbutton, you agree to ourTerms & Conditionsand thePrivacy PolicySIGN UPCries of anguish pierced the air as residents stared in disbelief, with some hurling profanities at the government and police officers deployed to oversee the demolition.Stay Informed, Stay Empowered: Download the Standard ePaper App!Hundreds of residents poured onto the road, barricading it with stones and rubble and blocking traffic. Police lobbed teargas canisters to disperse them.“Right now young people have no jobs. Some depend on boda bodas, and women rely on these stalls to feed their families,” decried Abuga, appealing to President William Ruto to intervene.Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsApp

Residents said they were given three days to vacate.A woman is overcome by emotions during the demolition of houses and business premises in Mukuru kwa Njenga, Embakasi South, Nairobi, on January 20, 2026.[Kanyiri Wahito, Standard]“People are supposed to be given three months. What was the hurry?” said Abuga.“They should have given at least enough time for people to move their belongings. That time is too short to organise, because some people also live far away,” he added.Traders watched helplessly as iron-sheet kiosks, wooden stalls and semi-permanent structures were brought down by bulldozers.The Standardalso observed one of the schools in the area, Lorento Springs Academy, being demolished.“My house has been brought down. Ruto, help us. I was teargassed whiledefending my rights. Now I don’t know where I will sleep with my children, and I don’t know if they will continue going to school,” said Lilian Odera, a victim.An elderly woman confronts police officers during demolitions in Mukuru kwa Njenga, Embakasi South, Nairobi, on January 20, 2026.[Kanyiri Wahito, Standard]Stay informed. Subscribe to our newsletterBy clicking on theSIGN UPbutton, you agree to ourTerms & Conditionsand thePrivacy PolicySIGN UPCries of anguish pierced the air as residents stared in disbelief, with some hurling profanities at the government and police officers deployed to oversee the demolition.Stay Informed, Stay Empowered: Download the Standard ePaper App!Hundreds of residents poured onto the road, barricading it with stones and rubble and blocking traffic. Police lobbed teargas canisters to disperse them.“Right now young people have no jobs. Some depend on boda bodas, and women rely on these stalls to feed their families,” decried Abuga, appealing to President William Ruto to intervene.Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsApp

A woman is overcome by emotions during the demolition of houses and business premises in Mukuru kwa Njenga, Embakasi South, Nairobi, on January 20, 2026.[Kanyiri Wahito, Standard]

“People are supposed to be given three months. What was the hurry?” said Abuga.“They should have given at least enough time for people to move their belongings. That time is too short to organise, because some people also live far away,” he added.Traders watched helplessly as iron-sheet kiosks, wooden stalls and semi-permanent structures were brought down by bulldozers.The Standardalso observed one of the schools in the area, Lorento Springs Academy, being demolished.“My house has been brought down. Ruto, help us. I was teargassed whiledefending my rights. Now I don’t know where I will sleep with my children, and I don’t know if they will continue going to school,” said Lilian Odera, a victim.An elderly woman confronts police officers during demolitions in Mukuru kwa Njenga, Embakasi South, Nairobi, on January 20, 2026.[Kanyiri Wahito, Standard]Stay informed. Subscribe to our newsletterBy clicking on theSIGN UPbutton, you agree to ourTerms & Conditionsand thePrivacy PolicySIGN UPCries of anguish pierced the air as residents stared in disbelief, with some hurling profanities at the government and police officers deployed to oversee the demolition.Stay Informed, Stay Empowered: Download the Standard ePaper App!Hundreds of residents poured onto the road, barricading it with stones and rubble and blocking traffic. Police lobbed teargas canisters to disperse them.“Right now young people have no jobs. Some depend on boda bodas, and women rely on these stalls to feed their families,” decried Abuga, appealing to President William Ruto to intervene.Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsApp

“They should have given at least enough time for people to move their belongings. That time is too short to organise, because some people also live far away,” he added.Traders watched helplessly as iron-sheet kiosks, wooden stalls and semi-permanent structures were brought down by bulldozers.The Standardalso observed one of the schools in the area, Lorento Springs Academy, being demolished.“My house has been brought down. Ruto, help us. I was teargassed whiledefending my rights. Now I don’t know where I will sleep with my children, and I don’t know if they will continue going to school,” said Lilian Odera, a victim.An elderly woman confronts police officers during demolitions in Mukuru kwa Njenga, Embakasi South, Nairobi, on January 20, 2026.[Kanyiri Wahito, Standard]Stay informed. Subscribe to our newsletterBy clicking on theSIGN UPbutton, you agree to ourTerms & Conditionsand thePrivacy PolicySIGN UPCries of anguish pierced the air as residents stared in disbelief, with some hurling profanities at the government and police officers deployed to oversee the demolition.Stay Informed, Stay Empowered: Download the Standard ePaper App!Hundreds of residents poured onto the road, barricading it with stones and rubble and blocking traffic. Police lobbed teargas canisters to disperse them.“Right now young people have no jobs. Some depend on boda bodas, and women rely on these stalls to feed their families,” decried Abuga, appealing to President William Ruto to intervene.Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsApp

Traders watched helplessly as iron-sheet kiosks, wooden stalls and semi-permanent structures were brought down by bulldozers.The Standardalso observed one of the schools in the area, Lorento Springs Academy, being demolished.“My house has been brought down. Ruto, help us. I was teargassed whiledefending my rights. Now I don’t know where I will sleep with my children, and I don’t know if they will continue going to school,” said Lilian Odera, a victim.An elderly woman confronts police officers during demolitions in Mukuru kwa Njenga, Embakasi South, Nairobi, on January 20, 2026.[Kanyiri Wahito, Standard]Stay informed. Subscribe to our newsletterBy clicking on theSIGN UPbutton, you agree to ourTerms & Conditionsand thePrivacy PolicySIGN UPCries of anguish pierced the air as residents stared in disbelief, with some hurling profanities at the government and police officers deployed to oversee the demolition.Stay Informed, Stay Empowered: Download the Standard ePaper App!Hundreds of residents poured onto the road, barricading it with stones and rubble and blocking traffic. Police lobbed teargas canisters to disperse them.“Right now young people have no jobs. Some depend on boda bodas, and women rely on these stalls to feed their families,” decried Abuga, appealing to President William Ruto to intervene.Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsApp

“My house has been brought down. Ruto, help us. I was teargassed whiledefending my rights. Now I don’t know where I will sleep with my children, and I don’t know if they will continue going to school,” said Lilian Odera, a victim.An elderly woman confronts police officers during demolitions in Mukuru kwa Njenga, Embakasi South, Nairobi, on January 20, 2026.[Kanyiri Wahito, Standard]Stay informed. Subscribe to our newsletterBy clicking on theSIGN UPbutton, you agree to ourTerms & Conditionsand thePrivacy PolicySIGN UPCries of anguish pierced the air as residents stared in disbelief, with some hurling profanities at the government and police officers deployed to oversee the demolition.Stay Informed, Stay Empowered: Download the Standard ePaper App!Hundreds of residents poured onto the road, barricading it with stones and rubble and blocking traffic. Police lobbed teargas canisters to disperse them.“Right now young people have no jobs. Some depend on boda bodas, and women rely on these stalls to feed their families,” decried Abuga, appealing to President William Ruto to intervene.Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsApp

An elderly woman confronts police officers during demolitions in Mukuru kwa Njenga, Embakasi South, Nairobi, on January 20, 2026.[Kanyiri Wahito, Standard]Stay informed. Subscribe to our newsletterBy clicking on theSIGN UPbutton, you agree to ourTerms & Conditionsand thePrivacy PolicySIGN UP

Cries of anguish pierced the air as residents stared in disbelief, with some hurling profanities at the government and police officers deployed to oversee the demolition.Stay Informed, Stay Empowered: Download the Standard ePaper App!Hundreds of residents poured onto the road, barricading it with stones and rubble and blocking traffic. Police lobbed teargas canisters to disperse them.“Right now young people have no jobs. Some depend on boda bodas, and women rely on these stalls to feed their families,” decried Abuga, appealing to President William Ruto to intervene.Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsApp

Hundreds of residents poured onto the road, barricading it with stones and rubble and blocking traffic. Police lobbed teargas canisters to disperse them.“Right now young people have no jobs. Some depend on boda bodas, and women rely on these stalls to feed their families,” decried Abuga, appealing to President William Ruto to intervene.Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsApp

“Right now young people have no jobs. Some depend on boda bodas, and women rely on these stalls to feed their families,” decried Abuga, appealing to President William Ruto to intervene.Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsApp

Subscribe to our newsletter and stay updated on the latest developments and special
offers!

Pick your favourite topics below for a tailor made homepage just for you