Property owners in Nairobi’s Lavington neighborhood are confronting potential demolition after the Nairobi Rivers Commission identified structures and fences reportedly encroaching on protected riparian zones along the Kibagare River.
In a declaration released on Thursday, June 4, the commission stated it had performed a demarcation process to determine the scope of encroachment prior to implementing additional enforcement measures against impacted constructions.
The operation was executed in collaboration with residents of Shanzu Road and Grevillea Grove, where officials delineated portions of the Kibagare River corridor suspected of being illegally taken over.
According to the commission, affected landowners received notifications and were directed to submit any objections or concerns through the Ministry of Lands offices located at Ardhi House.
“The Multi-Agency Team carried out a demarcation process with Shanzu Rd/Grevillea Grove residents along Kibagare River to identify riparian intrusions by buildings & boundary fences,” the commission noted in its declaration.
“Affected individuals were given notifications & instructed to submit any concerns to Ardhi House,” it added.
The operation forms part of continuous initiatives by government bodies to recover riparian territories and rehabilitate river ecosystems throughout Nairobi, where unauthorized construction has been attributed to encroaching on watercourses, intensifying contamination, and escalating flood hazards.
The notification constitutes part of a broader directive by the commission targeting constructions erected on riparian territories.
In early May, the commission revealed it had distributed more than 300 notifications to landowners in the city intending to recover areas seized by developers and homeowners.
NRC indicated that the then-enforcement focused on Kirichwa Kibua with planned advancement into Kirichwa Ndogo, Mathare River, Parklands, and the Ngong River corridor.
With the current enforcement, numerous landowners in the region will likely face consequences, as the government advances toward reclaiming public land.
The proposed demolitions represent an extensive initiative to restore Nairobi’s compromised river ecosystems, which have deteriorated over decades due to unregulated building, pollution, and land-use infractions.