Willow Court Residents Alarmed as Nairobi Demolitions Continue Despite Tribunal Order
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Residents of the Willow Court apartments in Nairobi say demolition works have resumed despite a Water Tribunal injunction, raising concerns over safety, flooding and the integrity of a connecting bridge.
Residents of the Willow Court apartments in Nairobi have raised alarm after demolition activities resumed this week, with sections of boundary walls and concrete flooring around the property already destroyed despite a tribunal injunction.
The dispute is before the Water Tribunal in TRWAC No. E007 of 2026, in which Willow Court One Limited, Willow Court Two Limited and Willow Court Three Limited are pitted against the Water Resources Authority and other respondents, including the Nairobi City County Government.
On May 7, 2026, the tribunal issued a temporary injunction restraining the respondents from demolishing developments on L.R. No. 37/750 over enforcement orders issued on March 31, 2026, or on any other claim relating to reclamation of the riparian reserve. The order carries a penal notice warning of consequences for disobedience.
Residents say the works have exposed a ditch, raising concerns over the safety of children and increasing the risk of flooding for families in the area. They also warn that the works could compromise the structural integrity of a connecting bridge, and fear its demolition could leave some residents stranded on one side of the river.
The residents maintain that the apartments were constructed about 18 years ago after the developer obtained the necessary approvals, including an Environmental Impact Assessment Licence issued on August 10, 2007. They argue the development complied with a 10-metre riparian setback and that officials later measured the riparian reserve from the property boundary rather than the legally prescribed high-water mark. They further contend that applying the 2025 Water Resources Regulations to developments built between 2007 and 2009 would amount to retrospective application of the law.
The matter came before the tribunal on October 1, 2026, to confirm the status of the respondents' responses. The residents' advocates said the Water Resources Authority informed the tribunal that it is yet to file its response because it intends to conduct a site verification exercise, and undertook to formally invite the residents through their advocates to participate. The residents are calling for the tribunal's order to be respected as the dispute proceeds.