Tensions have been running high in Eastleigh, Nairobi, after armed gangs raided a business complex. Dozens of businesses have been left counting the cost of damage and looting, while shop owners fear for their safety.
The attack, which happened late Friday, August 29 evening, is believed to be linked to an ongoing ownership dispute between tenants and a new landlord.
According to business owners with shops in the complex, a group of armed goons stormed the premises under the cover of darkness, smashing windows, vandalising shops, and disabling the building’s CCTV and electrical systems.
The assault lasted several hours, leaving behind shattered glass, looted merchandise, and a trail of destruction worth millions of shillings.
The building houses 64 textile shops, whose owners have run their businesses there for years. According to the traders, they hold valid 15-year lease agreements with the previous property owner, six years of which are still remaining.
However, the new owner has allegedly attempted to evict them prematurely, sparking bitter legal and physical confrontations.
“There has been a confrontation between the new owner and the tenants. The new owner wants to demolish the building, but the tenants are arguing that they have a lease protecting them from the demolition,’’ a shop owner explained.
In response to eviction threats, the tenants sought a court injunction to prevent any forced removal until the matter could be heard in court.
However, according to the tenants, the attack appears to have bypassed legal channels entirely, raising serious concerns about the rule of law and the enforcement of property rights in the city.
In an attempt to salvage their properties, the shop owners called the police, but they arrived too late to prevent the damage. The shop owners are now calling on Nairobi County to intervene.
Officers from Ruaraka Police Station have already stated that they are investigating the incident, and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) will soon arrest those involved.
Goon attacks have become increasingly common in the city, raising fears among business owners over the safety of their businesses, with most of them expressing worry that the country might be heading into anarchy.
