Hundreds face eviction to make way for Mombasa's affordable housing project

Hundreds of residents of Mombasa's Changamwe estate are facing eviction after the National Housing Corporation (NHC) began demolishing existing structures to pave way for the estate's renovation as part of the affordable housing project.

On Monday, construction workers braved heavy rains to remove asbestos roofs and demolish some of the houses that have stood there for over 30 years.

There are currently over 792 units on the estate, including detached houses, bungalows and maisonettes, all of which are now being cleared to make way for the new buildings. 

The NHC says it aims to build 9,000 units in the estate as part of the master plan, which includes high-rise residential units, commercial space and centres.

The project also includes the construction of a kindergarten, primary and secondary schools, recreational areas, a sports facility and other social amenities. 

However, some long-term tenants have accused the government of using the affordable housing project as an excuse to evict them from the estate.

When the Nation visited the site, affected tenants who have been served with eviction notices expressed disappointment, noting that most of them will be rendered homeless.

Eunice Mwasaha, who said she had lived in the area since 1989, expressed her frustration at being evicted without alternative accommodation. 

"I have been here for over 40 years. Where does the government want me to go after evicting me without providing me with alternative housing?" Mwasaha asked.

She said they should be allowed to continue paying Sh7,500 per month for a two-bedroom house, as they did in the past, instead of being asked to move into more costly houses once construction is done.

"How will I pay Sh15,000 monthly rent? And where will I live with my children if I am evicted? President William Ruto should think about it; we voted for him as well," said the widow.

Mwasaha urged the government to identify single mothers, orphans and widows living in the affected houses and compensate them for relocation as they cannot afford the new housing.

Everlyne Wangari, another tenant, is also facing eviction. She says that despite paying her rent on time, NHC officials have ignored her pleas.

"I do not owe NHC anything. I am one of the tenants with a clean rent payment record. I am an orphan with no income. Where will I get the Sh15,000 monthly rent for the expensive new houses?" she asked.

The NHC had previously said it would give priority to current tenants who had settled their rent arrears and signed a tenancy agreement to move into the new housing project.

The two women are among the many tenants in the Changamwe estate who went to court to stop the corporation from evicting them.

Their case was dismissed by Environment and Land Court Judge Nelly Matheka, allowing the NHC to proceed with the evictions for the project.​

“I find that the plaintiffs have not established a prima facie case and that they will suffer irreparable loss that cannot be compensated by way of damages. I find that both applications are not merited and are dismissed,” the judge said last week.

NHC had told the court that it had marked the estate for redevelopment before serving the tenants with a notice in January 2018.

“The tenants were given notices to vacate and were given alternative new houses to relocate to within the same area developed by the corporation,” NHC said in its court documents.

Several court cases have been brought by different groups of tenants to stop the NHC from evicting them. Other cases are still pending, most of them in the Court of Appeal. There is also a petition in Parliament against the evictions.

[email protected]