Traders at the Uhuru open-air market along Jogoo Road are counting losses after their stalls were demolished by bulldozers on Sunday night.
Through videos and images circulating on social media, the traders are seen trying to salvage what is left of their goods, with most of the structures in the premises lying in rubble.
The demolitions came a few days after the Nairobi government issued a notice to vacate.
The vendors were given a three-day deadline by the county government on Wednesday, saying failure to do so would result in demolition of their stalls.
The Uhuru market vendors protested against the eviction notice by the county government on Friday, claiming they were not given a viable space for business.
The traders lamented over the planned closure of the market, insisting that the site was their source of livelihood.
The protesters blocked Jogoo Road and lit bonfires on the road, forcing anti-riot police officers to use tear gas to disperse the crowds.
On March 4, the Kenya National Highways Authority (Kenha) flattened trading stalls in the Roysambu area along Thika Superhighway.
Kenha had notified the traders in the area to clear their wares on February 9.
The authority said the clearing was meant to pave the way for construction of designated bus bays for safe and efficient pickup and drop-off of passengers and to reduce traffic along the affected roads.
Kenha eventually carried out the demolitions a few weeks later, flattening stalls and kiosks owned by the traders overnight.
The authority conducted another demolition in Githurai market on Wednesday, February 18, tearing down makeshift structures along the road reserve.
The demolitions led to a protest by the vendors, who barricaded sections of the Thika Superhighway, causing traffic disruptions.
The tensions led to a clash between anti-riot police officers. The protests underscored the vendors’ frustrations over the destruction of their source of livelihoods and property.