The increasing incidents where police officers are being used to conduct raids on residences owned by affluent individuals in Nairobi and other regions of the country have sparked concerns among Kenyans.
An outcry ensued following a recorded incident on Saturday, wherein detectives apprehended a 74-year-old Kenyan amid a land dispute in Lavington.
The detention of the elderly Kenyan marked the climax of escalating tensions that had been simmering since Friday. A private developer accompanied by law enforcement personnel forcefully entered the property and demarcated a portion of the land.
In an effort to provide clarity, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) clarified that their intervention was prompted by Ahmed Chaundri, a UK resident, who alleged that the current occupants were unlawfully occupying his land.
The agency explained that Chaundri had bought the land in 1977 and leased the land to the current occupants through a company they owned.
As all this transpired, Kenyans were quick to point out that this was not the first time in recent times that police officers were being used to evict people in affluent neighbourhoods.
Kenyans.co.ke takes a look at similar cases.
Kitsuru
In December 2022, a widow residing in Kitsuru found herself compelled to involve the press to document her situation. The development was prompted by an incident in which police officers offered protection to her mother-in-law while she engaged in the demolition of a section of the widow's residence.
During a televised interview, the widow asserted that law enforcement personnel had provided security for a group of more than 30 individuals who proceeded to excavate holes within her property and erect structures.
She further explained that her late husband's relatives were staking a claim to the inheritance on account of the title deed not being registered under her name.
Kipchoge’s Expansive Ranch
On Wednesday, August 9, a group of armed individuals reportedly supported by police officers forcefully entered the farm owned by former Olympic athletics record holder, Kipchoge Keino, located in Eldoret. The intruders laid claim to a portion of the extensive 195-acre property.
In an exclusive interview with Kenyans.co.ke, Kipchoge's son, Andrew Keino, disclosed that the trespassers argued that a specific segment of the land rightfully belonged to them.
Moiben Widow
A widow from Moiben in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County, shocked Kenyans after she revealed that she had lodged more than 60 complaints with the police regarding people attempting to grab her wheat ranch.
She accused law enforcement officers of actively assisting the grabbers in attempting to take over the land.
Per her account, when she went to report that land grabbers were invading her ranch, an Officer Commanding Station(OCS) allegedly told her to go back where she came from and proceeded to threaten her.
She was further denied the deployment of police officers to guard the property.
Westlands Demolition
In November 2022, an auctioneer was arrested after demolishing a Ksh80 million house in Westlands that belonged to Kenyans of Asian descent.
The house belonging to Niraj Sha and his wife Avani Shah was demolished by unknown people. The family accused the police officers of not protecting them from land grabbers.
Nine months later, the family is begging the Chief Lands Registrar to revoke a title deed held by a private company that claims to own the property.
In a petition lodged at the Environment and Lands Court, the couple is requesting to be re-issued a new lease for the parcel of land.
A discernible trend is emerging, indicating that land grabbers collaborating closely with police officers are targeting widows and foreigners residing in affluent communities.
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