NAIROBI: Property worth millions destroyed as Lang'ata houses demolished

Property worth millions of shillings was on Saturday destroyed after the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure bulldozers flattened houses in Lang'ata’s Uzima gardens.

According to the Ministry’s official these homes stood in the way of the southern bypass whose construction is underway and they had to be removed to pave way for the completion of the project.

A devastated home owner, Mr Titus Mukiam lamented that they were not issued with any legal notices to vacate the road reserve, claims that the ministry has refuted.

Mr Charles Njogu corporate manager Kenya National Highway Authority said, “These houses have been marked for demolition and these residents know that their houses should not be on the Road reserve.”

The tough tuffs can be traced from 2012 when the then President Mwai Kibaki and Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga broke ground for construction of the Southern Bypass in Lang'ata which will run from Kikuyu town, across Ngong road and Lang'ata road, to Mombasa road.

Hon Raila Odinga had warned all those who have constructed house along the bypass to remove their structures or else face the full wrath of the Government.

The bulldozers arrived at 6am and started demolishing houses as a contingent of police officers manned the exercise.

Angry residents watched as their neighbours from the prowling Kibera slums looted some of their properties. The Kibera residents waited the bulldozer to finish demolition so that they can go in and scavenge what was left of the homes.

Mr Ted Majiwa, a resident in Uzima gardens said he had not even finalised payment for his house and wondered why the government holds double standards on the demolition.

This is because a house belonging to a governor from Central Kenya was not marked neither was it in the list of the houses to be demolished.

Mr Njogu from the highways authority clarified that the house was not marked because of a pending legal issue in the court.

Said he: “There is a pending legal issue and until it is resolved the flats cannot be demolished.”