Residents from Thika, Kiambu County have issued an ultimatum to the national and county governments after a section of public land was fenced off in readiness for it being used for the construction of affordable houses.
Speaking to the press on Monday, March 18, the residents argued that the government had not laid out plans on how persons who will lose their land will be compensated.
"I showed the governor the said grounds and we told him that is where we would like the affordable houses to be built. It has now been fenced but we have not been told on the way forward," one of the residents stated.
The locals from Starehe, Ziwani, Starehe, TUDC and UTI Estates complained that the government had seized what they described as communal land without consulting them.
Therefore, they asked the government to engage them in necessary talks on the way forward.
Additionally, the locals are worried that their homes may be demolished to pave the way for the affordable houses. On this, the residents have called upon the relevant authorities to ensure they do not lose their ancestral land.
"Some estates have been demolished and this ground has been fenced. These events have come as a shock to us," another resident remarked.
If their demands are not met, the residents have threatened to hold protests.
The residents lamented that the governor had promised them that their houses would not be demolished until the construction of other houses where they would be relocated was completed.
"Let us encourage dialogue and conversation, if it gets to a point where we do not get an answer then we will go to court and hold demonstrations," a resident stated.
Notably, the Affordable Houses are part of President William Ruto's plan to provide Kenyans with cheap houses and create jobs for the youth set to be implemented using funds obtained from the collection of the Housing Levy.
As the project takes shape, several homeowners have raised concerns about losing their property if the government proceeds with the plan.
