Residents of GIMU Estate in Athi River demonstrate to protest the alleged grabbing of a public road reserve to pave way for the construction of a church. Photo by Andrew Mbuva. 
By Stanley Mumo.
Residents of GIMU Estate in Athi River on Saturday staged a peaceful demonstration to protest the alleged grabbing of a public road reserve to pave way for the construction of a church, a move they say has severely disrupted movement within the estate.
Led by the GIMU Residents Association chairman, Joshua Muthoka, the residents accused authorities of ignoring their complaints despite numerous attempts to seek redress from relevant offices, including the Machakos County Government and the Catholic Diocese of Machakos.
“We are tired of pushing and being blocked from enjoying our rights to use a public road,” said Muthoka. “We have knocked on every door possible, including the Catholic Diocese of Machakos, but we have reached a dead end because no clear answers are forthcoming.”
Muthoka noted that construction of the church began about two years ago, triggering protests that saw residents escalate the matter to the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA).
He claimed that despite these interventions, the project has continued without adherence to NEMA requirements. According to residents, more than 1,000 families have been affected, with daily movement becoming a major challenge, particularly for school-going children.
Jennifer Odhiambo, a resident of GIMU Phase Two, said the issue has been discussed in several meetings over time, but no solution has been implemented. “We are forced to walk long distances to access alternative roads, which is both inconvenient and unsafe,” she said.
Another resident, Leon Mwaniki, termed the situation unfair, expressing disappointment that a church is allegedly involved in blocking a public road. “This is a public access road and should not be taken over by anyone,” he said.
Franklin Asira, who lives in Phase One, said the blocked road is the only link between Phase One and Phase Two of the estate. He further alleged that their efforts to resolve the matter have been frustrated by the involvement of a senior police officer.
Machakos County Executive Committee Member for Lands, Nathaniel Nganga, confirmed that the dispute is well known at the county level. He said the matter has been formally referred to the Director of Surveys, Kenya, for interpretation.
“This issue is above the County Lands Department. Our role as a county is to implement the interpretation provided by the Survey of Kenya,” Nganga explained.
On his part, Fr. Francis Maundu, the Catholic Church Trustee in Machakos, said the church has engaged the county’s physical planner and lands director over the matter. He stated that it was agreed that a formal letter be written to the Catholic Diocese of Machakos to advise on the way forward. “We are not opposed to any direction that will be given,” Fr. Maundu said.
The residents are now calling for urgent intervention by national authorities to restore the road reserve and ease movement within the estate.
