KENYA: Clashes over forced eviction of a shanty town in Nairobi

After the demolition of the homes of up to 7.000 people and the closure of a food market in the Korogocho neighborhood last week fierce fights against the police took place.

The reaction cleared the houses in the informal settlement at the beginning of the week without any warning and destroyed the buildings immediately afterwards. The residents were only able to take their essential needs, but most of their property was destroyed by the bulldozers. On day later reactionary forces forced the closure of a nearby food market which provided basic food for up to 100,000 people.

In Kenya too, a curfew has been imposed because of the Corona pandemic, which means that people are now facing criminal charges because they have been evicted from their homes by the state and now have to live on the streets.

In protest against these measures the masses blocked one of the most important highways in Nairobi and attacked police forces. The protest quickly spread to other neighborhoods of the city. In several parts of the city barricades were erected and shops were looted. The deployed police forces used tear gas, water canons and live ammunition to fight the people.