Nairobi — President William Ruto has intervened to halt demolitions in Mukuru Kwa Njenga informal settlement, ordering that due process be followed and consultations held with all affected parties.

The move comes after residents staged protests to block the forced evictions linked to the planned construction of the Catherine Ndereba Road.

The residents accused authorities of carrying out demolitions without prior notice and in violation of existing valid court orders.

Tensions ran high as a heavy police contingent was deployed to the area, with residents expressing fear of displacement from one of Nairobi's most densely populated informal settlements.

The 30-metre-wide strip named after a Kenyan world champion marathon runner, the road connects Mukuru to the industrial area to the north, the airport to the east and the route of the new expressway to the west.