Traders told to move from South B roads in 30 days

Hundreds of traders and business owners encroaching on nine road corridors in South B, Nairobi, have less than three weeks to find an alternative location for their businesses.

This follows a 30-day notice by the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (Kura) to the traders to pull down all structures erected along the roads, failure to which the properties would be demolished.

The roads include Kapiti, Aoko, Plainsview, Mwangeka, Sorre, Mchumbi, Daidai, Mukenia, and Mariakani.

The affected traders include vegetable vendors, clothes sellers, shoes hawkers, building material vendors, kiosks and semi-permanent structure owners.

In a letter dated August 26, 2021, Kura’s drector of road asset and corridor management, Abdulrashid Mohammed said the traders have illegally encroached the roads and should vacate to pave way for rehabilitation.

Mr Mohammed said the traders have 30 days from the date of the notice to remove structures encroaching road corridors.

This, he said, is in accordance with Section 49 (a) of the Kenya Roads Act which forbids all persons from erecting, constructing or laying or establishing any structure or thing on or over or below the surface of a road reserve or creating vehicular or pedestrian obstruction without permission from the Roads Authority.

“Please take notice that failure to act as directed above will result in forcible removal of yourselves and the encroaching matter disclosed above at your own cost by the Authority upon the expiry of the stipulated notice period,” said Mr Mohammed.

He warned that defying the notice shall additionally attract penal sanctions culminating in the institution of criminal prosecution against the traders, agents or anyone acting on their behalf.

Mr Mohammed said personnel from the project’s implementation team have met the traders several times to urge them to move away from the road as they interfere with its safe usage, particularly its walkway, and blocking off the drainage system.