Over 10,000 residents of Obama Estate in Nairobi are
in fear of being evicted after the land's original owner served them with
notices to vacate on Wednesday morning.
This comes after a court ruled that the 18.6 acres of
land, which is currently worth more than Sh3 billion and houses more than 3,500
households, was illegally sold to the current occupants without the landowners'
knowledge.
The owners of hundreds of rental apartments, schools,
churches, and private homes have two weeks to either reach an agreement with
Broadwell Limited, the rightful landowner, to pay for the land or vacate the
property.
If either of these two options is not selected by
January 31, Broadwell will have to evacuate the settlers.
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Thousands of Kenyans are being sold land by
unscrupulous salespeople who falsify documentation, a practice that has grown
common. This was the situation for the Obama homeowners, who were sold plots on
LR18282 by the Daylight Self-Help Group on different dates.
According to documents obtained by the Nation, despite
Broadwell's multiple attempts to stop the invasion of the property, nothing
happened.
“We
have tried several times to stop the invasion but we have always been
threatened with violence and that is why we have gone to court. Even the Obama
Police Station is on our land but we have no problem with the security
apparatus there because they provide security,†said Nicholas Mage, Broadwell’s
managing director.
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The
firm purchased the land from the then-Nairobi City Council in 1992 and was
awarded a 99-year lease beginning April 1, 1992. Over time, the people who
invaded the property established a self-help group to "manage" the
land. The group subdivided the land and then began selling sections to
unsuspecting buyers. By 2012, a new generation of owners had begun to build
their homes.
In
2021, the courts ruled against Daylight Self-help Group, restraining it from
trespassing on Broadwell’s property and adding that it should be evicted.
“It
is clear that the plaintiff (Broadwell) owns the suit property. I find that the
plaintiff has indeed proved his case. Therefore, I enter judgment in favour of
the plaintiff,†Justice EO Obaga said on February 18, 2021.
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Things You Need to Know Before Buying Land in Kenya: Lessons from Mavoko and
Kirima Land Saga
Broadwell
made an unsuccessful attempt to reach a mutually agreeable resolution with
Daylight representatives following the ruling.
Read
more here.
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