Athi River demolitions on land owned by East Africa Portland Cement have entered day four amid agony, pain, anguish and loss of property worth millions.
As bulldozers roar bringing down palatial homes, others are racing against time to salvage a few household items and roofs.
Homeowners have narrated painful tales of how they acquired the disputed land which the court last week ruled that it belongs to Portland Cement.
Some were duped by land-selling companies and possessed title deeds they believed were genuine. Some possess shared certificates.
Some of the homeowners revealed they had secured bank loans using the said documents to develop the plots they acquired. They cry foul that while there is a ruling on ownership of the land, the court did not order demolitions which they say have been carried out without any notice.
Athi River homeowners tell their tales
While trying to salvage a few materials from his rental houses, 53-year-old Zachariah Marua narrates how he was sold the e land by a property-selling company before he invested millions.
“My retirement investment has gone down the drain. I bought the land from a company I consider reputable and that is why I took an investment loan to develop the piece of land. I just wish the government gave us a notice to vacate,” Marua said.
What is more disheartening is that some owners paid the relevant agencies for building approvals from the county government and the National Construction Authority (NCA).
“Saying I am devastated and confused is an understatement. I invested Ksh4 million in rental houses. I had no reason to doubt the land ownership because I used the documents to secure a loan from my Sacco,” claimed Esther Macharia, one of the victims in Athi River.
The over 5,000 homes in Athi River comprising state-of-the-art homes and semi-permanent houses are all connected to electricity from Kenya Power.
“We followed the due process to apply for electricity and Kenya Power connected us to the grid. How would one doubt the ownership of the land which a government institution is facilitating its upgrading?” questioned Ali Ibrahim, a victim whose home he valued at Ksh4 million was demolished.
The once lucrative shopping centre in Athi River which reports booming business from the large population has been reduced to rubbles.
The high number of entertainment joints and mushrooming private health facilities is a clear indication of booming business in the densely populated area popularly known as ‘County’.
Churches and schools have not been spared to the chagrin of helpless parents especially those with candidates set to sit for grade six examinations.
On the other hand, police officers overseeing the demolitions have been reduced to cat and mouse running battles with criminals stealing scrap metals and salvaged items.
Despite the plea of locals and Ukambani leaders for the government to stop the demolitions, the massive destruction of property is ongoing on the 4,268 acres of land in Athi River.
