Man injured, property stolen in Caxton House eviction
A police officer stands guard at Caxton House in Nairobi on March 4,2015 after unknown people broke in and stole property. A top official in the Jubilee administration and two Nairobi politicians were Thursday implicated in Wednesday morning’s violent attempt to evict tenants from the prime property. PHOTO | EVANS HABIL | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- A bank in the building, which is accessible through Kenyatta Avenue, Koinange Street and Wabera Street, was spared.
- He said owners of the building had obtained a court order restraining tenants from accessing the building.
Property of unknown value was stolen early Wednesday when unknown people broke into shops and offices at Caxton House in Nairobi.
The 4am raid at the three-story building overlooking the General Post Office targeted stationery shops, MPESA agent shop, and computer stores.
A bank in the building, which is accessible through Kenyatta Avenue, Koinange Street and Wabera Street, was spared.
Witnesses said over 100 youths drove in a convoy of five lorries, three minibuses, and several private cars shortly and barricaded the premises with iron sheets.
“Almost simultaneously, some the youths swiftly scaled the building and started carting away computers and cartons and loading them into the waiting vehicles,” said Brian Odede, a shoe shiner in an adjacent shed.
Broken glass, computer screens, plastic chairs, printers and toner cartridges and an assortment of printed and plain papers were strewn on the parking lots on Kenyatta Avenue.
When the police arrived at the scene at 6 am in the morning, a crowd of curious onlookers had already milled.
“The landlord has been wanting us to vacate but it has not been easy since we have valid leases,” said an employee of Officemart who did not want to be named.
COURT ORDER
A tenant, George Ambani, who has occupied the building for six years, said owners of the building had differed with three agencies managing the asset.
Central Police OCPD Mr Paul Wanjama said owners of the building had obtained a court order restraining tenants from accessing the building.
He said: “They were supposed to allow the tenants to collect their items under supervision but not forcefully evict them.
“We arrested one man who was loading items into a van and we are investigating whether he is one of the tenants.”
A suspected thug, who witnesses said was hacked with a machete by his colleagues over an altercation over a computer was rushed to hospital under critical condition.
Plain clothed police officers found a blood stained machete and metal bars allegedly used to break doors.
“Telling from the scale of damage here, it is clear the thugs had a field day,” said Yusuf Toloi, a tenant.
