Residents pain as Muthurwa is set to be demolished

Shikanga said that the manner of compensation is not known, they are waiting for the involved parties to provide a way forward, all will be known after the census has been conducted.

Residents of Muthurwa Estate whose houses are to be demolished for the construction of a new market and a road will be known today. Today's exercise to be conducted by GIBB International, a consulting, design and management firm will determine how many people in the 18 blocks will be affected.

But for many like Judy Muthoni, the memories run deep the demolition will bring to an end a journey of 58 years. For all these years she has not known any home.

“I went to schools around here, I grew up here and built relationships. The place, people, the neighbourliness, the market, I loved it all. There is no other place I have called home,” said Muthoni.

Not only that, Muthoni found love in Muthurwa, got married and lived with her husband in Muthurwa. Like many of the residents here, the husband is a former employee of Kenya Railways.

Unfortunately for her, they separated years later. Muthoni said that when he stopped working at Kenya Railways, he got his benefits and left. But she continued living in Muthurwa with her children and grandchildren in block G6.

Last days

She does not want to believe that these are her last days in Muthurwa. Muthoni says that she would only like to be shown where she will go. She is not interested in any other form of compensation.

Joyce Mwangi, also in her late 50s lives in one of the affected blocks with son who takes care of her since she got a terminal illness.

Mwangi says she would only leave if she was given an alternative place to stay. Although she and her son have not stayed in the estate for long, to her, that is the preferred place.

“We have been here for five years, I am ill, and I do not have any other person I can depend on. It is only me and my son,” Mwangi said.

The blocks affected are A9, B9, B8,C8, D8, G8, H8, C7, B7, D7, F7, G7, H7, C6, D6, F6, G6 and H6. Structures and stalls in the affected will also be involved in today's census.

According to the Chairman of the 18 affected blocks, Joseph Shikanga, it is unknown when the project, which is funded by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), will start. Other involved parties include GIBB International, Nairobi City County and Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA).

“The only thing that was granted in court was that the eviction should be systematic and humane, the others were dismissed,” says Shikanga.

Kenya Railways Retirement Benefit Scheme provided 5.4 acres of Muthurwa estate for the said project.

“Until now as we speak we have not vacated the place and the court order still stands which means we are in contempt. This project has emerged, and we have to accept it,” Shikanga sad.

Muthurwa estate is under Kenya Railways Retirement Benefit Scheme. Years ago, they asked residents to vacate the area to allow for redevelopment of the estate. This prompted the residents to move to court to stop this move.

But in December 2015, Justice Isaac Lenaola in a judgement ordered that the occupants of the estate should vacate the place on or before April 30, 2016, which most of them have not done and they continue to stay at the place.

“It is uncontested that the Kenya Railways Retirement Benefit Scheme desires to demolish the Muthurwa Estate and put up modern residential and commercial buildings thereon. The Scheme is not obliged to provide the residents with alternative housing,” read the judgement.

“The occupants are hereby ordered to vacate the suit premises on or before 30th April 2016 in the terms set out in the judgment of 26th August 2013.

Among the prayers they were asking the court for was that Muthurwa residents be given priority in buying in the event it was put on sale. They also asked that they should be given alternative housing when they get evicted and that is should be systematic.

Shikanga held that JICA pointed out that they will not conduct the project without knowing where the affected persons will go.

“That is why they said that today they will be going around to collect data to know how many people are affected in the 18 blocks so that they would know how to help us,” said Shikanga.

He said that GIBB International will be there to do the statistics so that when the time comes for them to move, no one should complain that he or she was left out.

The date of commencement of the project remains unknown to them but they have accepted that they will have to vacate the estate sooner or later, they were already ordered by the court to move anyway.

 "You might choose to identify as a person who used to live somewhere else, because it makes you distinctive. The owners of the land have accepted that the project should be done, so who are we to object?” Shikanga asked.