800 families evicted from sisal farm in Nakuru now fear disease outbreak

Some of the people evicted from the Lomolo Sisal Company land and who are camping at the Athinai market in Mogotio, Nakuru County. They are spending nights in the cold. PHOTO | MAGDALENE WANJA | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • According to locals, the now displaced people have occupied the Athinai market thus paralysing its operations.
  • The families were evicted from the 14,000-acre tract of land after they lost a case seeking to prevent their removal.
  • Mr Horn said they had abused his kindness after he allowed them to graze livestock on the land.
  • The families claimed that during the eviction, they lost everything they owned, including their personal documents.

More than 800 families evicted from land belonging to the Lomolo Sisal Company now fear being exposed to diseases as they camp in the open at Athinai market in Mogotio, Nakuru County.

The families were evicted from the 14,000-acre tract of land after they lost a case seeking to prevent the property owner, a man of Greek origin, from removing them from the land.

The families say they are descendants of sisal plantation workers who served at Lomolo and that the owner, Harris Horn, was unfair in evicting them from the land.

The displaced people now face numerous challenges including lack of food, clean water and toilets.

The families have to put up in cold polythene tents at night.

MARKET OPERATIONS DISRUPTED

According to locals, the now displaced people have occupied the Athinai market thus paralysing its operations.

According to their representative, Shadrack Kimose, most of them were born on the farm when their parents were working there.

This means the land is the only home they have known.

However, Mr Horn told Nation.co.ke that he only acted on court orders after the squatters started claiming ownership of the land.

He said they had abused his kindness after he allowed them to graze livestock on the land.

Samuel Kiseu, a resident of Athinai, said that while it was Mr Horn's right to execute the eviction order, the court acted inhumanely.

“Let us always execute court orders in a humane way. It is not their fault that they were born on the farm,” said Mr Kiseu.

The families claimed that during the eviction, they lost everything they owned, including their personal documents.