Dozens of residents from Woodley Estate in Nairobi County were left homeless and stranded after the county officially began evicting them from their houses over unpaid rent arrears.
The residents, who argue that they had a court injunction blocking the evictions, blamed the county government for disregarding the orders and forging ahead with the evictions.
Dismayed and in shock, the residents have been left hopeless, with their belongings thrown out of their houses as the county remained adamant about evicting them.
The residents revealed that county officials arrived unannounced and forced them out of the houses they had called home for several decades.
"They were doing this in total disregard of a court order which we were given yesterday by the Milimani court. We had gone to protest the demand for arrears which had not been computed properly," Sam Gachago, one of the affected residents, said.
The evicted residents argue that the arrears the county is asking for were wrongly computed and that the evictions were unlawful.
They are blaming the county for carrying out the evictions without regard for their belongings, which has led to the loss of valuable property.
"The county should be told to stop tormenting people and ignoring court orders. Court orders are not just pieces of paper to look at; they are legal documents meant to be followed," Gachago continued.
The county maintained that the evictions were legal and necessary to recover long-overdue rent.
"We are simply following the law. Our intention is not malicious; we are just ensuring that tenants pay what they owe the county," Lydia Mathia, CECM, Nairobi County, stated.
The county denied having received any court order blocking the evictions. The affected families have vowed to return to court to seek redress.
Woodley Estate has been involved in a long-standing court case. In November, the government won a case against residents and ordered their eviction.
The residents, however, rushed to appeal the ruling and claim to have acquired an injunction, which they blame the county for ignoring as it proceeded with the evictions.
The estate has joined others in the county where residents have been evicted over rent arrears and court battles.
