Kiambu Senator Karungo Thangwa has strongly condemned the overnight demolition of small businesses in Githurai, Ruiru, Thika, and other parts of Kiambu County, describing the actions as “shameful” and a betrayal of the citizens’ trust.
In a statement, Thangwa criticized what he called a disturbing pattern under President William Ruto’s government, where public promises of support for small traders are contradicted by the destruction of their livelihoods.
“You cannot claim to uplift hustlers while simultaneously crushing their only source of income,” he said, referring to the bulldozing of shops and stalls under the guise of development.
The senator argued that while infrastructure development is necessary, it should not come at the expense of vulnerable citizens.
“Development that destroys the poor is not development. It is oppression,” Thangwa said, urging both the national and Kiambu county governments to explain who authorized the demolitions, why force was prioritized over dialogue, and where compensation and humane relocation plans are for the displaced traders.
Thangwa further highlighted the human cost of the evictions, warning that such measures only deepen public disillusionment with the government.
“Every stall burnt, every trader displaced, every dream reduced to ashes strengthens the resolve across this country that this regime has lost the moral authority to lead,” he said.
The senator’s remarks come amid growing tensions in urban centres where informal traders rely on small businesses as their primary source of income. He stressed that true development should empower people rather than destroy their means of survival.
“Ruiru and Githurai are not battlegrounds. Traders are not collateral damage. Development must build people, not burn them,” Thangwa concluded, reiterating that the government must urgently provide accountability, compensation, and clear relocation plans for affected citizens.