Gang destroys family's home at night over land dispute

Comba Njagi at the scene where his home used to be after alleged hired gangs descended on the property at dawn yesterday over alleged prime family land dispute at Gatugura village,Kirinyaga East Sub County. [Munene Kamau, Standard]

A family of 14 has been thrown out in the cold by a gang that stormed their homestead and destroyed all the buildings.

Patrick Comba and his wife Bancy Wanjiku narrated how their young grandchildren were ejected from their beds during the eviction at Gatugura village in Kirinyaga East.

"You can imagine the trauma my seven grandchildren were subjected to by the ruthless gang that struck our homestead at 4am while we were asleep," said Mr Comba.

The children were found huddled together on a path near what was once their home, shivering in the early morning cold. Their uniforms and books were destroyed during the attack.

Comba said that although there was an inheritance dispute before the court over his father’s property, he had not been served with a court order or notice to vacate the five-acre piece of land.

“Evictions are carried out in the presence of an OCS armed with a copy of a court order, which the affected party should also have been served with in advance. But this was not the case," Comba told The Standard yesterday.

He claimed that he had the details of how and when the plan to destroy his home was hatched and even the man whose vehicle was hired to transport the attackers.

Gone underground

The relative who is alleged to be behind the attack was said to have gone underground after neighbours threatened to lynch him.

Comba said he lost three pigs, three dairy cows and poultry when the livestock sheds were destroyed. Damaged property was strewn along a nearby path and in the shamba.

“But of significance is the fact that Sh80,000 we had kept in a box for our granddaughter, who is due to join the university, was among the property looted by the gang," he said.

Later, two officers from the nearby Kimunye police patrol base arrived at the homestead and asked Comba to accompany them to record a statement.