Syokimau residents watch as years of sacrifice laid to waste in minutes

By Rawlings Otieno

Mrs Josephine Moraa is a very bitter woman. She cannot comprehend that her family no longer has a roof over their head even after taking a bank loan to put up a home.

The 51-year-old mother of four says there was no notice given before bulldozers came tumbling down homes in Syokimau over the weekend.

With majority of home owners whose property was destroyed in Syokimau claiming they followed due diligence before buying land in the area, this ‘Plots for Sale’ sign is a cynical reminder of just how murky land transactions can get.

"We were driven away from our home in Molo during the post-election violence of 2007/2008 without any property before settling in Syokimau, which had become our home. But look now we are back to zero," a tearful Moraa told The Standard at the site where her house once stood.

"Our houses were burnt with everything inside. We left Molo with nothing except the clothes on our bodies. We struggled to raise some funds to purchase this plot but now we have nowhere to go again," lamented Moraa, with tears rolling down her cheeks.

Go insane

The distraught woman said she feared that her husband might have gone insane following the demolition and appealed for support, terming the incident retrogressive development.

And to compound the eviction fiasco that has seen hundreds rendered homeless — courtesy of the Kenya Airports Authority — marauding youths who are stealing the few salvaged property now pose a great threat.

And Moraa is not the only bitter resident. Mr Joshua Mutuku was busy going thought the debris of his flattened house.

A teary Mrs Josephine Moraa is yet to come to terms with the loss of her house. Photo: Jonah Onyango/Standard

Mutuku recalled how he bought four plots in 2004 and later sold two of them to raise money to build his one storey home.

He says he had taken a loan from Cooperative Bank to the tune of Sh2.5 million and until last Saturday, his house had cost Sh4.5 million despite being incomplete.

"I bought this piece of land from Mulolongo Brothers Association and I was even shown the title deed. I fulfilled all the requirements by law from Mavoko County Council. It is very devastating to see what you have laboured for just go down the drain like this," said Mutuku.

Another resident who sought anonymity said her rental houses had earlier been demolished and a place she had known to be home was no more.

Palatial houses

Bulldozers rumbled into Syokimau accompanied by armed police officers and wreaked havoc on property.

The once palatial houses on the 100-hectare piece of land were reduced to rubble as victims scavenged through the debris in a desperate bid to salvage whatever they could.

Many were yet to come to terms with what had befallen them as they counted losses running into the millions, yet there were signs the night was going to find them still without a roof.

Numbed, many remained aloof to the questions being asked by journalists.

Lorries, pick-ups and other modes of transport could be seen parked close to the destroyed homes, waiting to cash in on the affected families who had a place to go.

A palatial one-storey house in Syokimau minutes before it was flattened. Photo: Jonah Onyango/Standard

According to Mavoko Municipal Council, close to 400 families are without homes and many are going without basic necessities like food, water and shelter.

To some residents, it was a double tragedy having lost houses years ago in a similar incident where houses were demolished at Kyang’ombe area along Mombasa Road.

But the million-dollar question the victims are asking is: "Why did the Government wait until we put up structures for them to come and destroy our homes without notice?"

However, Mavoko Mayor Patrick Makau distanced his office from blame, saying they gave residents approval to build houses because there were proper documents from the Lands ministry.

Total disgrace

Makau said it was a total disregard of the law for the Government to allow KAA to demolish the houses and called on Kenya Red Cross to assist the homeless.

He noted that the issue regarding the land was still in court waiting ruling today. The case was to determine whether the plaintiffs — Mulolongo Brothers, Uungane and Jumbo — were bona fide owners of the land.

"Why were they rushing to demolish the property when the case had not been decided and fully determined? This is disregard of the law. If the Government cannot protect the citizens, who will?" posed the mayor.

Meanwhile, Safina Party has strongly condemned the wanton destruction of property in Syokimau and called on the affected families to seek compensation.

The party said KAA and the Attorney General must be sued because it is the same Government that gave titles and allotment letters to homeowners.