Families left in the cold in Eldoret evictions
Tenants ponder their next move outside rental houses belonging to Eldoret Municipality in Uasin Gishu County on April 20, 2023, after they were allegedly evicted by Uasin Gishu County officials over rent arrears. Several households who were affected claimed no notice was issued, given that there is a case in court whose hearing is next month.
What you need to know:
- Some tenants say they have lived in the estate for the last 40 years
- They say they were not served with an eviction notice, even though there is a court order stopping the county from evicting them
- A senior land and rent officer from Uasin Gishu County said the majority of the tenants being evicted had not paid rent for the last year
More than 1,200 residents of Pioneer Estate in Eldoret town were Thursday, April 20, 2023, left in the cold after Uasin Gishu County government askaris evicted them in a rent arrears dispute.
The houses in dispute belong to the defunct Municipal Council of Eldoret, now taken over by the county government.
Ms Lilian Auma said she had lived in the estate for the last 40 years, and was not served with an eviction notice, even though there is a court order stopping the county from evicting the tenants.
“We have a court order in our favor,” said Ms Auma.
Ms Terry Njeri said tenants were ready to comply with rent payment as soon as the court verdict is issued.
Ms Njeri claimed the eviction had taken a political dimension, noting that tenants were ready to comply with the much-anticipated court ruling.
One year rent
A senior land and rent officer from Uasin Gishu County who was among the officers evicting tenants said they were being evicted due to failure to pay rent.
The officer, who did not want to be named due to protocol, claimed the majority of the tenants being evicted had not paid rent for the last year.
“Some of these tenants owe the county more than Sh100,000 in rent arrears. We have decided to evict them to renovate the houses and re-allocate them to county employees,” said the officer.
The victims’ lawyer, Mr James Njuguna, has accused the county government of violating a court order that stopped the eviction of his clients until the matter is heard and determined in court.
Eunice Anyango, a tenant at Pioneer Estate rental houses owned by Eldoret municipality talks to their lawyer James Njuguna (centre), as Patrick Musyoka, the Chairman of Uasin Gishu tenants Association looks on. She said she has lived in the house for the last 40 years, and they have been evicted without notice.
Mr Njuguna, who was accompanied by Eldoret human rights activists Duncan Arum, termed the eviction inhumane as he displayed copies of court documents to journalists, showing an active case and a court order for the status quo to be maintained until the matter is heard and determined.
Eviction order
Mr Njuguna told his clients not to leave the houses unless they have been served with a valid eviction order.
“This eviction is illegal since the county government has not served us with an eviction order and all senior police officers who were supposed to supervise the eviction have distanced themselves from the exercise,” said Mr Njuguna.
He said he would sue the county government with contempt of court, regretting that there have been increased cases of the county government despising court orders.
He said that it was not the first time the county of Uasin Gishu was violating an active court order.
“I have experienced similar occasions where the county has negated a lawful court order like in the case of the Mayabi estate where a senior county officer has been fined Sh200,000 for violating a court order by evicting residents irregularly,” he said.
Mr Arum accused the county government of politicising the eviction. He said most of the affected families are facing hard economic times and evicting them now subjects them to more anguish.
“We have seen children and poor women left homeless, especially at such a time when the country is facing hard economic times. It would have been prudent for the county to hold on with the eviction and wait until the court issue is resolved legally,” said Mr Arum.
The case on the rent dispute involving the affected tenants and the County Government of Uasin Gishu will be heard on May 21.
