Hundreds
of residents of Kariobangi South KCC estate near Kangundo road witnessed the
demolition of a three-story building that housed almost 50 families on
Wednesday
morning.
Property
worth millions were destroyed, with tenants claiming they were awoken at 2am by
more than 100 angry youths who forced them out of their homes. At first, they
said they thought they were attacked by criminals, but then they saw a
bulldozer start to tear down the building. "I can't even get my blanket
out of my house to cover myself and my two-year-old daughter," Jamila molu
said, looking back at what had once been her home.
"Everything
I have was destroyed and I do not even know where to begin. Why would
any one plan such evil against us? "She asked.
Read: No
Eviction: Kirima Family Seeks Mutual Agreements with Njiru Occupants
Her
devastation could not match that of the owners of the building, Miriam and
Mwanaisha Bilali. Mwanaisha, the granddaughter of the late Mau Mau veteran
known as Mama Uhuru, told the Nation that the building's plot of land was given
to them in early 2002 by former President Uhuru Kenyatta, who was also the
Minister for Local Government at the time.
The
requirements to complete the process were stated in a January 7, 2002 letter
verifying the transfer. These included paying a ground rent of Sh2,080 and a
standard premium of Sh10,000.
"You
are also advised that survey fees, legal fees, rates and other charges relating
to this allocation will be paid on demand," the letter reads. The family
complied and effectively gained ownership of the land. Ms Mwanaisha
Bilali"
But
problems started in 2021 when the family received a notice to leave the land
from the Nairobi Metropolitan Service (NMS). The family quickly went to court
to ask for order to prevent being evicted from the property they had previously
spent tens of millions of developing into a rental property with about 57
single rooms and four self-contained units.
An
injunction was issued by the court stopping NMS from conducting any activity on
the land identified as plot 127.
Also read: 10
Things You Need to Know Before Buying Land in Kenya: Lessons from Mavoko and
Kirima Land Saga
“That
an order of temporary injunction does and is hereby issued prohibiting the NMS,
its agents, servants or officers from entering the applicant’s parcel and
taking any action thereon and enforcing the notice serial number 000128 dated
May 2021 pending the inter-parties hearing and determination of this suit,â€
Senior Resident Magistrate MW Murage ruled on September 27, 2021. The matter is
still in court.
“We
showed the court order to the youth and the operators of the bulldozer but they
said they do not recognise the court and tore the document to pieces and
continued with their pillaging,†Mwanaisha said.
Read more here
.jpeg)
.jpg)