Traders march through Kamukunji to protest eviction orders affecting the business centre.
Traders seek alternative business spaces as authorities maintain safety restrictions around the Eastleigh collapse site.
Kamukunji traders protested on Thursday, October 29, against eviction orders affecting businesses at the Kamukunji Business Centre. The orders followed safety concerns after a 16-storey building collapsed in nearby Eastleigh.
Hundreds of traders marched through Kamukunji streets in Nairobi, carrying placards and twigs while chanting. Meanwhile, hundreds of onlookers watched from surrounding storey buildings.
The building collapsed on Friday, October 3, trapping scores of people and leaving tens unaccounted for. Following the incident, authorities ordered businesses across the road from the collapse site to close.
Officials said the collapse could have affected the structural safety of nearby buildings, including the multi-storey business centre. Authorities have also maintained restrictions along 9th Street, where multi-agency teams continue search and recovery operations.
Kamukunji traders seek alternatives as restrictions remain
Some protesters said their businesses provided their only income, warning that evacuation would leave them facing financial hardship. They therefore urged the government to offer suitable alternatives rather than require them to leave without another trading space.
One trader appealed for the government to listen to their concerns and provide viable alternatives. The trader said families depended on income from the business centre to buy food.
Meanwhile, Kamukunji MP Yusuf Hassan called on authorities to allow a partial reopening of the market. His appeal sought to support local traders whose livelihoods depend on access to the premises.
However, Nairobi North Regional Commissioner Simon Osumba maintained that the area remained as dangerous as when the collapse occurred. Authorities continued to enforce the restrictions despite the appeal for traders to resume some business activity.
