Families in Eldoret spend night in the cold following demolition

Mama Edna Shanyasia (holding a child), could not believe her eyes when a bulldozer belong to Uasin Gishu County guarded by Administration Police officers, demolished buildings on a disputed land at Kipkaren estate in Eldoret. PHOTO: PETER OCHIENG/STANDARD

ELDORET: Over 500 families at Kipkaren estate in Uasin Gishu were forced to spend the night in the cold after their houses were demolished following a court order.

The families had bought the land oblivious that it was grabbed and erected houses but were shocked when a hired bulldozer demolished the structures.

The land owner Alice Yano flanked by a contingent of armed security officers descended on the houses to reclaim her plot.

She had moved to court to seek legal redress after her attempts to reclaim the five acre plot were thwarted by the dwellers.

But the families faulted the move saying they were not given demolition notice and time to seek alternative place to live.

"It is now raining and being ejected from where we have known as our home for several years is subjecting us to untold suffering," said Ndovi Joseph, one of the affected families.
He said he bought the land and proceeded to build a house for his family.

Dismus Cheruiyot, another victim, who has lived in the plot for the past 10 years, said he lost all his belongings.

"I rear animals but when the bulldozer ambushed us in the morning they scattered and got lost. As you can see our personal belongings are being rained on," he said.

But Ms Yano said she had been subjected to untold suffering after grabbers stole her plot before subdividing and selling it to unsuspecting members of the public.

"It is a pity to subject innocent people to such suffering because of unscrupulous individuals who are hell bent at minting money by fleecing people," said Ms Yano.

She said the grabbers took advantage of her husband's death to grab the plot, "Am happy because the court ruled in my favour and I am warning other unsuspecting members of the public to desist from buying land without valid document."

This comes at the backdrop of calls by Uasin Gishu governor Jackson Mandago to the government to survey all public land in the citing rampant grabbing in the region.