Singer Julius Owino, popularly known as Juliani, has shared that his brainchild, Dandora Hip Hop Centre, has been demolished in the ongoing operation to reclaim riparian land in Nairobi county.
Juliani said he is heartbroken that despite every effort, the government has gone on to demolish the centre, which was a hub for the youth and women to showcase and grow their talents.
The singer shared a video clip showing bulldozers taking down the two-storey hub.
“This is not the end but inauma sana! To think that we were working on expanding to the neighbouring spaces and upgrading the facility,” Juliani said.
Early on, he had shared that he received news of the imminent demolition, and asked his fans to stand with him during the ‘trying moments’.
“Gotten word that our community centre, Dandora Hip Hop City is being demolished. The whole 2 storey building. Yes, it’s close to a river. We purchased the building more than 7 years ago,” Juliani said on Sunday.
The government has been on a spree to reclaim riparian land and move people away from rivers, especially after the recent floods that killed hundreds of people across the country, many of them in slum areas.
The demolitions have been met with mixed reactions from Kenyans and leaders. Opposition leaders have called the demolitions barbaric, questioning why the government is targeting informal settlements only.
Azimio la Umoja’s Eugene Wamalwa on Sunday asked the government why it is not demolishing buildings in affluent Nairobi neighbourhoods like Runda, where some houses are built on riparian land.
Wamalwa said the government is targeting the poor with the demolition and sparing the rich.
