County demolishes structures on road reserves

The Nyamira County Government has started demolishing buildings constructed on road reserves in Keroka town.

Over the past two weeks, the county has demolished premises housing more than 2,000 people.

The county’s bulldozer caused a scare in a private hospital housed in one of the targeted buildings, prompting an evacuation of patients.

The proprietor of the building, George Nyariki, said the demolition was done without any notice.

Several other investors in the town, whose premises have been flattened within the past 14 days, shared similar sentiments.

"The county just woke up and decided to render us homeless without any legal notice," said Daniel Osoro, a trader whose hardware business was destroyed.

The County's Public Works and Transport Executive John Omanwa, however, said the people affected had been notified earlier and that the demolitions were long overdue to clear up space and decongest the town.

"Owners of affected buildings knew all along that they have been sitting on public land. We were human enough to give them notices which they ignored," Omanwa said.

While the investors are blaming the county for frustrating them at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, Omanwa insists that the demolitions were urgent and necessary to free up space.