Protests have erupted along Jogoo Road in Nairobi as traders express outrage over the planned demolition of their stalls at Uhuru Market.
Transport along the busy road was paralyzed as the traders blocked a section of Jogoo road and lit fire along the highway, making it impassable.
In videos and images seen by The Kenya Times, the traders had barricaded the roads and set tyres and litter ablaze in the middle of the road.
The affected traders lit bonfires on the road on Tuesday March 18 morning, causing a huge traffic snarl-up.
Traders Protest Along Jogoo Road Over Stall Demolitions
The bonfires were lit near the junction of Likoni Road, just a few meters from St. Stephen’s Anglican Church of Kenya.
Motorists using the route were forced to either reroute to Outering Road and access Nairobi’s central business district via Juja Road or use feeder roads within adjacent estates to reach the town.
Located along Jogoo Road, Uhuru Market is occupied by at least 6,000 traders. It has 324 stalls.
Overall, 64 per cent of dealers engage in textile production, with uniform production taking the lion share of 36.1 per cent.
Sixty-two per cent of the traders are women while 38 per cent are men.
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This follows a previous incident earlier in January this year, when traffic along Nairobi’s busy Jogoo Road came to a standstill for several hours as residents of Mbotela Estate staged protests against the demolition of their homes and businesses.
The demonstrators, who claim rightful ownership of the contested land, accused a private developer of destroying their properties in defiance of a court order.
Hundreds of frustrated residents, many of them women, spent their Sunday blocking Jogoo Road, laying mats across the tarmac in a symbolic protest.
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Why Traders Have Been Protesting
The affected community alleged that the private developer, who claims ownership of the land, failed to present valid documentation before proceeding with the demolitions.
In 2021, the traders alleged that the land had been acquired by a private developer, leading to the demolition of their market stalls during curfew hours. Over 4,000 traders counted their losses as their businesses were destroyed.
According to the traders, the demolitions were carried out after the private developer allegedly acquired ownership of the land.
The High Court at Milimani later issued orders halting the private developer from evicting the traders. The court’s order ensured that the traders would not be evicted from the land until the hearing and determination of their application.
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