Chaos erupted in Machakos County on Friday morning after county enforcement officers reportedly demolished traders’ structures under the cover of night, triggering protests that brought traffic along the busy Kyumbi–Machakos road to a standstill.
The affected traders, most of them small-scale business owners, claimed that their kiosks at Miwani area in Machakos Town Subcounty were flattened around 1:00 am without any prior notice. The demolitions sparked outrage, prompting dozens of traders to block the road in protest, accusing the county government of acting with impunity.
“I received a call from a friend saying our structures had been demolished. When I rushed to the scene, everything was gone,” lamented one trader, who said his kiosk—still under construction—had cost him about Sh60,000.
Another protester expressed frustration, saying the sudden action had robbed them of their means of livelihood. “We have lost our livelihoods. We could have removed our belongings had we been notified. Now we have nothing,” she said, adding that many families now face financial uncertainty.
County police officers were swiftly deployed to disperse the demonstrators and restore order. They used tear gas to break up the crowds and clear the road, which had been barricaded with stones and debris, causing major disruptions to transport in and out of Machakos town.
The demolished structures were reportedly situated on a road reserve near the junction to Governor Wavinya Ndeti’s Machakos White House office. A senior county official confirmed the demolitions, stating that the traders had illegally encroached on public land. He added that the county had a responsibility to reclaim such spaces for infrastructure development and public safety.
However, the traders have decried the lack of communication and transparency in the exercise. They are now demanding dialogue with county authorities and compensation for their losses.
As calm gradually returned to the area, the incident laid bare growing tensions between informal traders and county administrations over public space usage, and highlighted the need for humane and transparent approaches in urban planning enforcement.
