Traders and shoe shiners operating in Nairobi Central Business District are counting losses following the demolition of public toilets near the Kenya National Archives by the Nairobi City County Government. A move that has sparked public discontent.
The toilets, located between the Archives building and Mr. Price, also hosted shoe shiners and small-scale traders who now say their livelihoods have been disrupted after parts of the structure were torn down.
Images and videos reviewed show that the roof of the building- along with installed water tanks- was brought down, while sections of the walls were demolished, leaving the structure partially standing.
The demolition is reported to have taken place on the night of Friday, March 20, as part of a county-led initiative to restructure the city and improve drainage amid ongoing heavy rains.
The exercise follows a campaign launched earlier in the week by Governor Johnson Sakaja aimed at enhancing drainage systems after deadly flooding incidents reported on March 6.
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In recent days, the county has undertaken several changes in the area, including paving sections around the Archives with cabro blocks and relocating PSV bus stages that previously operated between the Archives and the Ambassador building.
While works between the two buildings have been completed, the section between Mr. Price and the Archives had remained pending until the latest demolition.
It remains unclear whether the toilets will be rebuilt under a new design, as efforts to obtain an official comment from county authorities were unsuccessful.
The move has raised concern among residents who rely on the facility, with many now forced to walk loger distances to access alternative public toilets, including those along Agha Khan Walk and near the former Hilton Hotel.
Questions have also emerged over the selective nature of the demolition, with a nearby structure- located just a few metres away- left untouched, fuelling speculation among members of the public.
“Cartels had made it their personal property, not the county government’s,” one resident claimed.
Data from the county indicates that Nairobi has about 68 public toilets, with only around 18 located within the CBD. These facilities were previously managed by the Nairobi Metropolitan Services but have since been handed over to youth and women groups.
Public toilets in high-traffic areas such as the Archives are considered lucrative, with some generating up to Ksh30,000 daily and monthly revenues of approximately Ksh1.5 million, while average CBD facilities earn between Ksh10,000 and Ksh15,000 per day after costs.
