Tension boiled over at Kenya’s bustling Gikomba Market today as traders blocked government officials, fiercely rejecting a sudden expansion of the relocation boundary to 50 metres from the Nairobi River – up from the 30 metres they had already agreed to.
The standoff is the latest flashpoint in Nairobi County’s aggressive Nairobi River restoration project, aimed at reclaiming riparian land to curb deadly floods that have devastated the city in recent years. But for thousands of traders who have built their livelihoods here for decades, the move feels like a blatant land grab.
“We were told 30 metres and we agreed. Where has this 50 come from?” demanded trader Nikodemus Mabebe.
Another vendor, Milkah Zawadi, captured the raw fear sweeping the market: “50 metres means the entire market is gone. Where will we go?”
The county government insists the extra 20 metres will actually benefit traders – clearing space to construct a brand-new modern Gikomba Market. An alternative temporary site has already been prepared nearby for those displaced while construction proceeds.
“Those opposing are cartels,” shot back trader representative Mbugua Kibathi. “We are being built a new market, whether they like it or not, we will move.”
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja doubled down, issuing a stern warning: “All people living on riparian land must relocate to avoid floods. We have told them before. A report will be filed on Thursday.”
Traders now face a hard deadline – vacate by the end of March or face demolitions. The push comes as county bulldozers continue tearing down structures in nearby Grogon and Shauri Moyo following the latest floods.
The drama unfolds just weeks after the Environment and Land Court granted Gikomba traders a temporary reprieve, halting earlier demolition plans.
The Nairobi Rivers Commission claims a multi-agency team met traders as recently as yesterday to hammer out a phased decanting plan for a new “Linear Market” along the river corridor. According to the Commission, traders had agreed to move in stages to minimise disruption, with the entire project slated for completion in just four months.
Yet on the ground, many vendors tell a different story – accusing authorities of poor consultation, irregularities in the land expansion, and giving just days’ notice after years of operation.
“At least give someone two months to prepare and show us where we are being taken,” one trader protested. “You cannot come with just two days’ notice when we have been here for 15 years… cleaning the river is good, but they should also consider us.”
The relocation is part of a wider Nairobi River regeneration programme designed to widen channels, deepen waterways and prevent the catastrophic flooding that has repeatedly crippled the capital.
Critics, however, warn that rushed evictions without proper compensation or transparent planning could destroy thousands of small businesses that form the backbone of Nairobi’s informal economy.
As demolitions loom and the clock ticks to the end of the month, Gikomba remains on a knife-edge. Will traders dig in, or will the promise of a shiny new market win the day?
One thing is clear: the battle for the Nairobi River is far from over – and the livelihoods of Gikomba’s traders hang in the balance.
