As the Nairobi County Government ratchets up the demolition of buildings sitting on road reserves and riparian land, the integrity of the effort is being questioned.
Some Kenyans on social media asked why the Mike Sonko-led administration is demolishing private businesses that are providing employment to the youth.
More importantly, the administration has been criticised for bringing down the structures yet it was the one that approved the construction.
On Saturday, Airgate Centre, formerly known as Taj Mall, in Embakasi was destroyed after Nairobi Regeneration Committee Head of operations Julius Wanjau said the building situated at the junction of Outer Ring Road has encroached on the road reserve hindering its expansion.
Of particular interest to Kenyans is why the Kenya Pipeline Corporation waited until the last minute to condemn the building.
The owner, Mr Rameshchandra Govino Gorasia said he spent Sh5.5 billion on the building that was opened in August 2011, and has lost up to Sh3 billion in rental income.
As the real estate mogul counts his losses, it is equally important for Kenyans to ponder, who is to pay for the redesign of Nairobi’s Outer Ring Road?
The road was revamped after the government received a Sh9.8 billion loan from the African Development Bank (AfDB) in 2014.
Further, the Kenya Urban Roads Authority said in March this year it awarded Chinese firm Sinohydro Tianjin Engineering Limited a Sh880 million tender to put up 11 footbridges along Outer Ring Road.
With this in mind, it would be interesting to know why the government had to redesign the road to accommodate the building.