KENYA: Thousands of homes destroyed in Kibera to make way for road

On Monday, Kenyan officials demolished the homes of 30,000 people in Nairobi's largest slum, Kibera, to clear the path for a USD 20 million road project. Construction of the major road is part of a "government plan to ease traffic congestion" in Kenya's capital city, home to over three million people. Authorities gave the residents of Kibera a two-week notice to vacate their homes, but thousands remain displaced due to the forced evacuations. Comment: Kibera residents attempted to combat the road's construction in court last year, but failed when the judge ruled that the road was in the public's best interest. Amnesty International condemned the evictions, accusing Kenyan authorities of breaching an arrangement to resettle the residents before demolishing their homes. 

(Source: Daily Nation, BBC, Reuters)

via IPSI Peace & Security Report