Families in Woodley Estate in Nairobi were forced to spend the night of Monday, November 18, in the cold after the government demolished their houses.
In videos seen by The Kenya Times, residents were seen running while carrying their belongings as a bulldozer demolished the homes.
Meanwhile, other families were spotted standing in the cold, clutching their belongings in the verandas.
At least 42 houses in Woodley Estate, located along Joseph Kangethe Road in Nairobi, were demolished following the expiry of the vacation deadline at midnight on 19th November 2024.
Court Ruling on Ownership of Woodley Estate Land
The estate is set for a major housing facelift. The 10-acre land was designated for a housing project, with 1,900 units to be constructed in phase 1.
The Court of Appeal on Friday, November 8, found that the process used by private developers to acquire over 100 residential houses in Woodley was fraudulent, illegal, null and void.
In its judgement in the lead file, the Environment and Land Court ruled in favour of EACC and issued orders declaring the title held by Moses Ng’ethe invalid, null, and void for all intents and purposes for having been acquired fraudulently and illegally.
It is reported that some tenants had vacated the houses earlier after receiving compensation of Ksh900,000 from the Nairobi City County Government.
Others were forcefully evicted upon the deadline’s expiry.
Scrap metal dealers were seen scavenging for metals and other valuable materials from the demolition sites.
Also Read: Landlord Forced to Demolish Property with 20 Units in Roysambu
Reactions From Kenyans After Demolitions Occurred During Nighttime
Kenyans have been quick to express their frustrations on social media questioning how the government could demolish houses at night with some terming it as “impunity of the highest order.”
ADVERT
“This growing trend of government-sanctioned evictions without an alternative housing solution is not only inhumane but also a violation of the basic rights. Development must never trample on the basic rights of citizens #humanright,” a user by the name Lincy Tirop wrote.
Also Read: Big Win for Nairobi County as Court Approves Recovery of Ksh1 Billion Estate
Boniface Mutiso chimed in stating that, “It is so unfortunate to see people’s property being demolished when the economy is very tough, and people are struggling. The same government said it will protect the citizens. It’s God to help us.”
Another user wrote, “Even those houses seem like an estate… Just because individuals want to build their own houses in the name of affordable housing. If indeed the government is right, they should always demolish during the day; we want to see the one demolished.”
Meanwhile, an X user, Renson Adoyo, termed the demolition as “brutality”. He questioned why there are no available open spaces for new homes, instead of destroying the lives of Kenyans, some of whom have served the country for years.
“Where did we go wrong as a nation? What are politicians thinking that they own us, including our rights as citizens of this country? Why are elected leaders behaving as if others don’t matter anymore?” he posed.
Follow our WhatsApp Channel and join our WhatsApp Group for real-time news updates.
