Kenya: Government Demolishes Homes, Offers $75 for Evacuation Amid Deadly Floods
Kenya's government has started demolishing homes in flood-prone areas despite a deadline for evacuation, leaving families with $75 to relocate.
In Nairobi, bulldozers destroyed iron-sheet walls while security forces used force to clear residents.
Thousands were told to leave areas near rivers and dams due to heavy rains that have caused 238 deaths.
Many evicted families are unsure of their next steps.
Human Rights Watch criticized the Kenyan government for an insufficient response after the demolition of houses in the Mathare informal settlement, leaving residents like Jekenke Jegeke feeling abandoned.
President William Ruto visited the area and offered affected residents 10,000 Kenyan shillings ($75) to help them resettle.
However, three people, including two children, have died due to bulldozer accidents during the demolitions, according to civil society groups.
Opposition leader Raila Odinga previously warned the government against demolishing more houses without a resettlement plan in place.
Approximately 235,000 people in Kenya have been affected by the flooding, with many living in camps.
The Interior Minister, Kithure Kindiki, ordered the evacuation of 200 families in the Kijabe area due to a disaster where about 60 people were killed and houses were destroyed when a railway tunnel flooded.
The number of homes destroyed nationwide is unclear.
Additionally, the Cabinet urged people living near the Tana River, downstream from the Masinga and Kiambere hydroelectric dams, to evacuate due to historically high water levels.