By The Weekly Vision Team
More than 3,000 members of the Woodley Estate Residents Welfare Society (WRWS) have taken legal action against Governor Johnson Sakaja’s administration, aiming to block a planned eviction from a valuable 10-acre plot in Woodley Estate, Kibera. Valued at around Ksh 5 billion, this land has become the subject of intense debate, with accusations of illegal allocation by Governor Sakaja’s administration to a private developer and a lack of public consultation.
The petition, submitted at the Milimani Law Courts, is spearheaded by WRWS members Wanja Kimani, Peter Ngatia, John Mugwe, and Samson Mwangi. They claim that the Nairobi City County Government, under Governor Sakaja, unlawfully allocated the land to African Reit Ltd., a private developer, without the required public consultations.
The residents assert that the entire process has been opaque and lacks transparency. They argue that the Nairobi County Government has failed to engage with them through proper public participation or stakeholder involvement, as mandated by law. Instead, the administration is allegedly offering financial compensation to appease the affected residents. Danstan Omari, the lawyer representing the petitioners, criticized this approach as unconstitutional and a breach of legal norms. He emphasized that the rights of the residents to property and due process must be upheld.
The lawsuit focuses on allegations that the county’s planned eviction and demolition of homes are part of a broader scheme to transfer the valuable land to private interests, disregarding the rights of the current occupants. The residents argue that the process amounts to an illegal land grab, carried out without a valid environmental impact assessment or legal grounds.
Woodley Estate’s complex history further complicates the issue. Many residents claim they purchased their homes from the now-defunct Nairobi City Council decades ago, a transaction they believe granted them secure ownership. They note that similar transactions in other areas of Nairobi, such as Makadara and Dagoretti, were recognized, and they expected the same for Woodley. However, allegations of corruption and mismanagement have allowed outsiders to purchase these properties, heightening tensions within the community.
Court documents reveal that the controversy surrounding the proposed demolition and redevelopment of Woodley Estate began in 2021, under plans initiated by the now-defunct Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS). NMS had stated that redevelopment would begin on vacant sites and eventually move to occupied areas, promising tenants priority. However, the residents argue that this promise was never honoured, and the current administration is now pushing eviction plans without proper public dialogue or legal procedures.
In their petition, the WRWS is seeking interim orders to halt any eviction or demolition. They contend that the Affordable Housing Project (AHP) or urban renewal initiative is being pursued at the expense of their established rights and historical ties to the land. The petitioners stress the estate’s historical and cultural significance, pointing out that Woodley has been home to generations of families who have invested in its development, including building schools, churches, and other community amenities.
The petition also raises environmental concerns, noting that the 10-acre plot includes the only playing fields for Joseph Kangethe Primary School and serves as a vital green space in the densely populated area. The residents argue that destroying these spaces would violate constitutional guarantees of the right to a clean and healthy environment, as well as children’s rights to facilities that support their physical development.
WRWS has called on the Nairobi City County Government, the National Government, and other relevant authorities to uphold the rule of law and respect the principles of natural justice. They are demanding an end to the illegal eviction and demolition, a stop to the unfair allocation of land, and adherence to due legal processes.
