Tenants enraged by forceful eviction

Kakamega

Wednesday August 23, 2023

KNA by Moses Wekesa

Tenants occupying Otiende estate staff quarters have faulted the Kakamega County government for defying a court order and inhumanly evicted them from their residences.

The County government had earlier issued a notice for residents occupying Otiende, Matende and Amalemba estates to vacate by last July 31 for the houses to be occupied by county staff.

The Tenants moved to court to stop the eviction with the court temporarily halting the plan pending hearing and determination of the case.

However on Tuesday at 6am, county enforcement officers stormed the houses at Otiende estate, broke the doors and threw out house items in the full glare of occupants.

One of the tenants was allegedly preparing to go to work but was forced to stop showering midway after the enforcement officers broke into her house.

A curious neighbour who walked to the scene after hearing the commotion was clobbered and her phone crashed when she was spotted recording the officers as they threw the tenant’s household items outside.

Moses Otiado, the chairman of Otiende Estate Tenants, said that they were issued with an eviction notice by the Kakamega county government and moved to court to protest the move.

“We went to court to seek redress after being issued with an eviction notice,” he noted.

He said the court gave orders for the county government to respond to the tenant’s petition regretting that the county government has not responded up to now.

“They have no reason to come to evict us. Those officials are barbaric, are against the law and we are standing firm. If they want to engage us we are ready to talk,” he pointed out.

Courtesy ; K. N. A