By Kamila Karu

The residents of Mukuru kwa Rueben face an uncertain future as they are facing eviction from their dwellings. “A one-week notice is not reasonable. We should have been given at least three months and an alternative on where we can go,” says Bilha Momanyi, a resident who is a casual laborer and has lived in the area with her family for over 20 years.

The lack of a sustainable solution and support from their leaders has created a sense of frustration and helplessness among the residents. "Where are we going to go? Where will we find another home? Where are our leaders?" This is the outcry of the residents of Mukuru kwa Rueben, Maendeleo Rorie zone.

Forced evictions constitute gross violations of a range of internationally recognized human rights, including the right to adequate housing, food, water, health, education, work, security of the person, security of the home, freedom from cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment, and freedom of movement. Mukuru informal settlement was at risk of forced evictions before the declaration of the Mukuru Special Planning Area (SPA). Muungano wa Wanavijiji played a big role in collecting evidence, pushing for the declaration of the SPA and supporting the community through different consortiums to drive the development agenda.

The community's efforts paid off when the Mukuru SPA was declared, offering some protection against forced evictions. The consortium, which was attended by a representative of the Nyumba Kumi (representing 10 households), allowed the community to voice their concerns and come up with solutions for the various challenges they faced. One example was the discussion of the quality of education in the area, which led to the solution of creating more public schools.

Mukuru Kwa Reuben is a settlement that has seen the implementation of the Mukuru Special Planning Area, resulting in improved access roads, water points, the sewer system, a hospital, and a school. However, the Maendeleo Rorie zone, where the hospital and school were built, is now at risk of eviction as residents are required to make way for a school playground. A January 2023 rapid enumeration conducted by Muungano Wa Wanavijiji showed that approximately 500 residents and 143 families would be affected by the eviction among which more than 50% of the families have lived in the settlement for more than 10 years. The majority of the residents are casual laborers who survive on hand-to-mouth and have been in the area for over 20 years. This settlement is the only home they know.

If the households in Rurie are evicted, they will have several humanitarian needs due to the loss and destruction of properties on the site. These include 5 Fresh Life toilets, 3 community halls, 1 informal school, 9 small-scale businesses mainly operated by the settlement's residents, 1 community kitchen, and 3 animal sheds.

The Embakasi South MP, Hon. Mawathe Julius Musili, gave the residents a one-week notice to vacate the premises on the 10th of January 2023. This sudden decision has caused concern among the residents, who are requesting an alternative and assurance that they will benefit from the ongoing social housing project in Mukuru Kwa Njenga. Benjamin Michael, a 2007 post-election violence victim, says, “The MP should have negotiated with us to discuss the way forward and give us an alternative. We can’t stand in the way of development but where will we go?”

The residents understand the need for development but are advocating for accountability from their leaders to ensure that no evictions occur without providing alternative solutions to the affected. They have witnessed several forced evictions in the past and want to put an end to this practice.

Through the enumeration, Muungano Wa Wanavijiji is giving the community the upper hand in organizing themselves to better negotiate with their leaders for an alternative. Mukuru slum dwellers have witnessed numerous evictions, but they want accountability from their leaders to put a stop to evictions without alternatives.

Despite the passage of three months since the Mukuru kwa Ruben Member of Parliament issued a verbal eviction notice, no one has been forced to leave their homes yet. However, the fear of bulldozers demolishing their homes still lingers among the residents. As we wait for a resolution to this situation, it's important to remember that behind the numbers and legal proceedings are real people with real lives and stories to tell. We must continue to raise our voices and demand for dignified and just solutions for those who call Mukuru kwa Ruben their home.