Gikomba traders sue to halt eviction for affordable housing project

Traders at Gikomba market have raised alarm over their looming eviction following a government directive expanding riparian land along the Nairobi River.

They argue that the decision, if implemented, will destroy their source of livelihood and displace thousands of families.

The eviction is part of a broader plan by the national and Nairobi County governments to develop affordable housing and infrastructure along the Nairobi River corridor.

A public notice issued on March 6, 2025, declared the riparian land to be 60 meters wide on each side, covering an area from Naivasha Road to Ruai in Kasarani.

Mitumba Consortium Association of Kenya and Mbugua Kibathi have taken legal action against Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja’s administration, the Ministry of Lands, and Attorney General Dorcas Oduor.

Through lawyer Ndegwa Njiru, they argue that the government failed to involve affected stakeholders before issuing the directive.

“That notwithstanding, the fact that the declaration would affect a very wide cross-section of the society, the Respondents have failed, refused, and/or neglected to involve the traders, suppliers, casual workers, and labourers of Gikomba Market,” Njiru said.

The traders insist that their rights to property and fair administrative action have been violated. They argue that the government is pushing them out without offering alternative spaces for their businesses.

Gikomba, one of East Africa’s largest second-hand goods markets, has been in operation since the 1950s.

It is a crucial economic hub, serving traders from across the region. The goods sold in the market originate from Asia, Europe, and South America and are distributed to local and international buyers.

The petitioners say that demolishing the market will not only affect traders but also impact transport operators such as bodaboda riders, handcart pushers, and truck drivers who depend on the market for work.

“That the market that is now at stake acts as a hub of a well laid out business ecosystem that serves not only the importers of the second-hand commodities and local purchasers and sellers thereof," Kibathi said.

"It also serves as a means of earning a livelihood for other sectors in the transport industry to wit, bodaboda riders, handcart pushers, and truck drivers.”

They further argue that devolution was meant to enhance public participation, but the government’s failure to consult them goes against this principle.

In his affidavit, Kibathi highlights that the constitution guarantees property rights and that any acquisition must be done lawfully and with just compensation.

“That I am advised by my advocate on record, which advice I verily believe to be true, that Article 47(1) provides that every person has the right to administrative action that is expeditious, efficient, lawful, reasonable, and procedurally fair,” reads the affidavit.

The traders want the government to halt the plan until proper consultations are done. They also demand clarity on compensation and relocation arrangements if the project proceeds.