A family in Kamuthi village in Nairobi’s Kahawa West estate is seeking justice after unknown people demolished and burnt several houses during a suspected land dispute attack.
The family of Njunge Nduati said the incident happened on Sunday night on a one-acre piece of land they claim belongs to their family. They said the land was transferred to their father by their grandfather in 1997.
According to witnesses, about 50 armed men arrived in a lorry at around 3am before pulling down houses and setting them on fire.
“They came at night and demolished all the houses, after they finished they burnt them and poured petrol, they were masked,it was around 3am,” said Mbugua Elvis, one of the victims.
Mbugua said his pregnant wife was among those affected during the attack and had to be rushed to hospital after suffering shock.
“My wife was pregnant when they invaded she got shocked and we had to run to the hospital as an emergency, they wanted to burn her inside the house,” he said.
The family claimed they contacted officers at Maziwa Police Post while the incident was happening but no immediate help was provided.
They also questioned an eviction order that they said was dropped inside the compound during the demolition.
“We are asking that the court can hear us so that we know what is going on because we are being dispossessed,” Mbugua said.
Village elder James Matiba also raised concerns about the alleged court order, saying legal evictions should follow due process and involve a court hearing before enforcement.
The victims said several people, including an elderly widow, were left without shelter after the houses were destroyed.
By Monday, relatives and neighbours were trying to recover damaged property from the debris as the affected family searched for a place to stay.
Police at Kasarani Police Station said investigations are ongoing into what they described as two separate attacks. Officers are also verifying the authenticity of the eviction order reportedly issued by the Milimani Commercial Magistrate’s Court.
