Four people injured in confrontation between homeowners, security guards

Homeowners outside the Erdemann Property Limited in Athi River, where they had gone to demand their houses that they started paying for three years ago, on December 9, 2025. [Peterson Githaiga, Standard]

Four people, including a journalist, were injured during a confrontation between security guards and a section of homeowners in Athi River, Machakos County, on Tuesday.

The four were among a group of people who had gone to the Great-Wall Gardens to demand their houses that they had been paying for since December 2022.

A Standard Group journalist who was covering the protest was assaulted by security guards deployed by Erdemann Property Limited, a Chinese company constructing the houses.

Trouble started when the guards realised that the KTN reporter was among the homeowners and was filming the proceedings.

The guards ordered the journalist to delete the footage he had recorded and when he declined they attempted to snatch the camera, forcing the homeowners to intervene.

The injured were rushed to a nearby hospital where they were treated and discharged before they filed a complaint at the Athi River Police Station.

The home owners, said they had gone to make a follow-up after three years of waiting for their house keys.

''We are urging the government to intervene in this matter, the company has always been promising to finish the construction of our houses. Today we came to demand the houses, its unfortunate that some of us have been roughed up by security guards,'' said Timothy Malesi.

Homeowners outside Great-Wall Gardens in Athi River, where they had gone to demand their houses that they have been paying for since December 2022, on December 9, 2025. [Peterson Githaiga, Standard]

Malesi told The Standard that in 2021, he saw an advertisement about the company selling houses and he took a loan of Sh3.5 million to pay for the house, following promises that it would be completed in 2022, but up-to-date he is still waiting.

''The current government has been encouraging people to own affordable homes, and that's why we are here, however it’s disturbing that even after paying the whole amount to a stalled project, you send guards to assault the same clients'' said Malesi.

Naomi Wanjiku, 60, said she spent all her life savings to pay for the house and even topped up with a loan, ''this has affected me negatively, i didn't know i was putting my money in a dark hole I thought I would get a house, '' said an agitated Wanjiku.

A document seen by The Standard dated April 26, 2024 indicated that the phase five project was over 80 per cent complete, and the home owners were to clear the payment.

''The construction of the GWG5 project is now 80 per cent completed, making a significant milestone in our journey together. We anticipate being issued with a practical completion certificate by the project architect for each unit'' read the letter in part.

“Upon receipt of the occupation certificate from the county government of Machakos, we will officially invite homeowners to inspect their respective units in preparation for handover and eventual occupation,'' read the letter.