Demolitions along Nairobi River corridor/ HANDOUTThe Senate has ordered a fresh audit of land along the Nairobi River corridor before any further evictions are carried out.
This came amid unresolved claims of intimidation, displacement and lack of compensation.
The Senate Lands Committee also directed the National Land Commission (NLC), Nairobi county and Nairobi Rivers Commission to conduct a joint survey to establish the exact river boundary and historical movement of the river.
In a report adopted by the Senate, the committee ordered the agencies to map the exact coordinates of the Nairobi River Corridor Special Planning Area within six months.
The committee, chaired by Mombasa Senator Mohamed Faki, further directed the government to settle pending compensation claims and ensure any future evictions are preceded by clear compensation and resettlement plans.
The report followed a petition by residents of Korogocho over alleged forced evictions after Nairobi county declared the river corridor a Special Planning Area in March 2025.
“The national government and county government should humanely conduct any planned evictions with adequate consultation through public participation together with residents and their local leaders,” the committee said.
The team said residents should not be subjected to intimidation or threats as the government implements the river regeneration programme.
The Special Planning Area covers a 60-metre buffer zone along the river, comprising a 30-metre riparian corridor and an additional 30-metre development area measured from the high-water mark. It stretches from Naivasha Road to Ruai and includes tributaries of the Nairobi River.
Korogocho residents told the committee they had been excluded from meaningful consultations and that some people evicted in an earlier operation in 2024 had not been compensated.
They also claimed the Special Planning Area notice reached community representatives after the consultation period had expired.
The committee found that Nairobi county had followed procedures in declaring the Special Planning Area, but noted some communities may have been left out of consultations.
The Nairobi Rivers Commission told senators the declaration did not by itself authorise evictions or demolitions without legal justification, resettlement plans or compensation.
The county denied forced or unlawful evictions in Korogocho, saying no demolition had been undertaken and ground pegging had not started when it responded to the committee.
The NLC, however, said the planning process for the Special Planning Area had not commenced, partly because Nairobi county lacked resources for the exercise covering parts of Nairobi, Kiambu and Machakos counties.
The commission said previous evictions may have occurred under other programmes, including the Nairobi Rivers Basin Regeneration Programme.
The committee ordered the NLC to investigate eviction, resettlement and compensation claims within six months and directed agencies to involve community leaders and elected representatives in implementation.
