Hundreds of people in Nairobi are now homeless after their homes were demolished. Early Monday morning, residents of Nyama Villa Estate in Kayole were woken by bulldozers and police. Despite some initial resistance, the demolitions went ahead, forcing people to quickly move their belongings.
The reason for the demolitions isn’t immediately clear, and local groups are criticizing the government. The Kayole Community Justice Centre said that some bulldozers arrived in the middle of the night without any warning. They condemned the action, saying people deserve to be treated with respect.
Demolitions in Nyama Villa have been a problem for years, even going back to when Uhuru Kenyatta was president. These demolitions also reportedly caused tension between current President William Ruto and his deputy, Rigathi Gachagua.
In 2018, President Kenyatta actually stopped a demolition in the same area. It was discovered that a wealthy businessman had used fake land ownership papers, working with some city officials, to take the land. At the time, Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko also intervened, promising to get justice for the affected residents.
About the author
Robert Prevost’s Unexpected Path to the Papacy
Tonight, from the Vatican, a stunning development that will reverberate across the Catholic world. The College of Cardinals, in a move that has surprised many, has reportedly chosen Robert Prevost as the successor to the papacy. A figure perhaps less known on the global stage than some of the speculated frontrunners, Robert Prevost's ascent marks a potentially significant turning point for the Church. Robert Prevost, an American prelate who has been serving as the Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, a crucial Vatican department responsible for recommending candidates for bishoprics worldwide, is now poised to take on the monumental task of leading over a billion Catholics. His background, notably his long service as a missionary in Latin America, particularly in Peru, offers a compelling narrative of a life dedicated to the pastoral needs of the faithful in the developing world. […]
Civilian Lives Lost Amidst India-Pakistan Retaliation
Tonight, from the volatile Line of Control that divides India and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, we are receiving deeply concerning reports of civilian casualties following a dangerous escalation of tensions. This after Pakistan's response to India's earlier air strikes manifested in cross-border shelling, leaving a trail of destruction and loss in its wake. Consider the human cost. Buava Singh, a resident of the Poonch district on the Indian side, recounted a devastating scene. A mortar shell, he says, ripped through his niece Ruby Kaur's home in the dead of night. She had simply woken to prepare tea for her ailing husband when tragedy struck. The shrapnel, Singh described, caused fatal head wounds. Ruby Kaur is now dead, and her daughter gravely injured. Adding to the vulnerability, Singh stated the absence of community bunkers in the area, forcing civilians to seek the fragile […]
Inter vs. Barcelona Delivers a Champions League Semi-Final for the Ages
Wow. Just wow. If you missed the Champions League semi-final between Inter and Barcelona, what were you even doing? Because what we just witnessed here in the Inter vs. Barcelona match, folks, was not just a game of football. It was an experience. A three-and-a-half-hour odyssey, punctuated by a staggering 13 goals, a trio of substitute stampedes onto the pitch, and then, almost poetically, as if the heavens themselves were moved by the sheer drama, the rain began to fall. It felt like a cleansing, a baptism after two sides had poured every single ounce of themselves onto that hallowed San Siro turf. We were in a realm beyond strategy boards and tactical formations, a place where pure will and heart collided. This wasn't your typical Champions League semi-final; it was an elongated scream of passion, the kind of spectacle […]
Northampton Shocks Leinster to Reach Champions Cup Final
Well, tonight in Dublin, at the hallowed RDS Arena, we witnessed a seismic shift in the landscape of European rugby. A script no one truly predicted unfolded as Northampton Saints, against all expectations, delivered a jaw-dropping 37-34 defeat to the mighty Leinster, punching their ticket to the Investec Champions Cup final. Consider this: Leinster, the perennial contenders, the standard-bearers of defensive prowess in this competition, had conceded a mere seven tries en route to this semi-final. Seven. Tonight, the Saints, with a relentless attacking fury, breached that seemingly impenetrable wall five times. Five tries, including a hat-trick of blistering scores from the electrifying Tommy Freeman. This was not just a victory; it was a drama of epic proportions. Ten tries were scored in a breathless encounter, a seesaw battle that kept us on the edge of our seats until the […]
Osimhen Eyes New Scoring Landmark as Galatasaray Battles Sivasspor
Tonight in Istanbul, under the floodlights of Rams Park, Victor Osimhen, the undeniable engine of Galatasaray's Super Lig title aspirations, stands on the precipice of a significant personal achievement. The Nigerian international, a force of nature at 26 years old, currently leads the league's scoring charts with a formidable 22 goals, a testament to his predatory instincts in front of the net. He holds a slender two-goal advantage over Istanbul Baลakลehir's Krzysztof Piatek. While the collective glory of a Super Lig triumph undoubtedly fuels Osimhen, the heart of a striker beats with the rhythm of individual milestones. Tonight's encounter against Sivasspor offers him a golden opportunity to not only widen the gap on his nearest rival but also to etch his name further into the annals of his own impressive career. Consider this: Osimhen has already tallied a staggering 31 […]
UFC Legend Mark Kerr’s Dramatic Life Story Comes to Screen with Dwayne Johnson in Lead Role
UFC pioneer Mark Kerr's tumultuous journey through the early days of mixed martial arts is set to captivate audiences in the upcoming biopic "The Smashing Machine," featuring a transformed Dwayne Johnson in what many are calling his most dramatic role to date. Kerr, now 56, earned his intimidating nickname "The Smashing Machine" through his devastating fighting style during MMA's formative years, when fighters often competed multiple times in a single night. The Ohio native's remarkable career included four first-round stoppage wins at UFC 14 and UFC 15 in 1997, with his longest bout lasting just 133 seconds. However, the film delves beyond Kerr's octagon dominance to explore his harrowing struggle with painkiller addiction, which culminated in a life-threatening overdose in 1999. The biopic draws inspiration from the acclaimed 2002 HBO documentary of the same name that chronicled Kerr's rise, fall, […]
Related
UK Housing Prices Drop in April Following Tax Changes
British house prices fell by 0.6% in April, marking their largest monthly decline since August 2023, according to data released by mortgage lender Nationwide. This drop follows the end of a property transaction discount and exceeded economists' expectations. The decline represents the first fall since August last year and was more severe than anticipated. Economists polled by Reuters had predicted flat growth after March's stagnation. Annual house price growth also slowed to 3.4% in April, down from 3.9% in March and below the forecasted 4.1% increase. Nationwide's chief economist, Robert Gardner, attributed the softening growth to recent changes in property taxes. "Early indications suggest there was a significant jump in transactions in March, with buyers bringing forward their purchases to avoid additional tax obligations," he noted. On April 1, the UK government reduced the threshold at which homebuyers become eligible […]
Minister Jack Chambers Questioned Over Past Planning Objections Despite Recent Housing Comments
Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers, who recently criticized planning objections based on "character of an area" concerns, is facing scrutiny over his past objection to a development that included apartments. This week, Chambers announced measures to accelerate infrastructure delivery. He stated that objections based on neighborhood character are "nebulous" and block housing supply goals. He claimed there are "countless examples" of people trying to "frustrate" housing development for the "broad public good." However, records show that in 2016, Chambers objected to a mixed-use Lidl development in Castleknock that included eight apartments. As a local TD then, he argued the project would "compromise and constrain the aesthetic and visual outlook" of the village. During an An Bord Pleanala hearing in 2017, he reportedly described the development as a "monstrosity" that "puts an atomic bomb under the conservation area." In his […]
Nigeria to Launch Calabar Section of Coastal Highway April 14, Connecting to Sokoto-Badagry Route
Nigeria's Federal Government will officially commence construction on the Calabar section of the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway on April 14, addressing concerns that development has been limited to the Lagos area. During an ARISE News interview on Sunday, Minister of Works Dave Umahi announced a series of launch events: April 14 in Calabar (Cross River), April 15 in Akwa Ibom, and April 16 in Ebonyi State. "By the 14th of this month, we are going to be flagging off the construction in the Calabar axis," Umahi stated, rejecting claims that work was only happening in Lagos. "No, that is not a fact. We are working right now in Calabar and Akwa Ibom," he emphasized. The minister described another of President Tinubu's legacy projects that will connect Calabar with Ebonyi, Benue, Kogi, Nasarawa, and ultimately Abujaโpart of a Trans-Sahara route designed to […]
Driver Trapped After Truck Falls Into Large Sinkhole in Japanese City
On Tuesday morning, a sinkhole measuring 32 feet wide and 16 feet deep emerged at a busy intersection in Yashio, Japan, engulfing a truck and its driver. The incident occurred around 10 a.m. local time at a commercial area less than a mile from Yashio City Hall. Saitama Prefecture Governor Motohiro Ono attributed the collapse to a suspected crack in the Nakagawa River Basin sewer pipe. Emergency services responded with at least 12 fire trucks at the scene, while rescue teams pumped oxygen into the cavity to assist the trapped driver. The driver remained conscious and communicated with police initially, but contact was later lost. Rescue efforts were complicated by sand and mud filling the driver's compartment, with the operation extending beyond eight hours according to Nippon TV. The incident prompted social media discussions about infrastructure safety. One user named […]
Historic Fires Devastate Hollywood Area as Pacific Palisades ‘Wiped Off the Map’
Devastating bushfires across Los Angeles have killed at least five people and forced 180,000 residents to evacuate, with several historic areas under threat. Five separate fires are burning, including one near Hollywood Boulevard and another that has devastated parts of the iconic Sunset Boulevard.The Pacific Palisades fire has become the most destructive in LA history. Film director Jon Turteltaub described the situation grimly, saying the affluent suburb has been essentially erased. Of the five active fires, three remain completely uncontained, including the Palisades fire (17,234 acres), the Eaton fire (10,600 acres), and a smaller Sunset fire (43 acres) near Hollywood's historic district. The crisis emerged from a "perfect storm" of conditions, according to LA Mayor Karen Bass. Following heavy rains and vegetation growth in early 2024, severe drought hit southern California. Combined with unusually high winter temperatures and winds exceeding […]
Judge Freezes Border Wall Material Sales in Surprise Legal Victory
A federal judge in Texas has blocked the Biden administration from selling unused border wall materials, a decision that former President Donald Trump has praised as a victory. The ruling comes after Trump filed a legal brief last week opposing what he called "fire sales" of the materials to private parties. The decision by Judge Drew Tipton follows recent legislation passed by Congress as part of the National Defense Authorization Act. This law required the Biden administration to dispose of unused border wall materials, but specified that they could only be sold or donated to southern border states for maintaining existing barriers, not building new ones. Trump announced the court decision on his social media platform, TruthSocial, where he claimed the ruling would lead to an investigation into the sales. He also expressed gratitude to Texas and Missouri for their […]
Be the first to leave a comment