More buildings demolished in Nairobi

A multi-storey building is demolished in Eastleigh, Nairobi November 22, 2011. Buildings worth millions of shillings in were pulled down in the ongoing efforts by the government to reclaim public land. WILLIAM OERI

Buildings near the Moi Air Base in Eastleigh, Nairobi have been pulled down in ongoing demolitions to reclaim public land.

The Tuesday demolition started early morning under heavy guard from the army and police.

The affected buildings and businesses in Eastleigh Section 3 were within 50 metres from the Moi Airbase perimeter fence.

Structures and multi-storey buildings neighbouring the airbase on First Avenue were the first to brought down.

The demolitions started at 6 am and caught some of the tenants unawares.

A high number of heavily armed Kenya Air Force and regular and administration police in full rot gear kept vigil as the demolitions near the Moi Airbase runway continued.

On Saturday, hundreds of shanties were demolished in Mitumba slums near Wilson Airport as part of the operation to clear structures situated next to vital installations.

The demolitions in the slum situated at the end of the airport runway started at around 7 am.

The slum covers an area of four square kilometres and is bordered by the Nairobi National Park in the south, Parkview estate in the east, South C estate in the west and Nairobi Industrial Area in the north.

This was the sixth demolition drive after Eastleigh, Kyang’ombe, KPA slums, Syokimau and the Embakasi manyattas.