More than 38,000 Jua Kali artisans in Kisumu are facing a possible eviction, after a High Court ruling granted ownership of an 8.4-acre disputed parcel of land to the Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC).
The verdict was delivered by Samson Okong’o, the Environmental and Land Court Judge, on Tuesday November 11, ending a six-year legal tussle over the land identified as Kisumu Municipality Block 6/517, well known as the Nyayo Sheds.
Justice Okong’o ruled that the government did not seek consent from Kenya Railways before allocating the land to Jua Kali artisans in 1986, in that way validating KRC’s ownership claim.
The ruling however, has ignited a wide concern among traders, who claim that the decision threatens to uproot decades of investments and lives that depend on the space.
“We have occupied this land legally for over 40 years and we have valid documents including a 99-year lease issued in 1994 and renewed in 2016,” David Odanga, the secretary general of Kisumu Central Jua Kali Artisans Association said. “We have consistently paid land rent and county rates yet we are now being treated as squatters.”
In their argument, the artisans claim to have invested millions of shillings in workshops, industrial facilities and sheds over the years. The land also hosts the Kisumu Central Constituency Industrial Development Centre which was renovated recently at a cost of 3.5 million shillings.
Expressing his fears, Odanga said that the eviction could cripple the informal manufacturing sector which serves as a major employer and training hub for local youths in Kisumu.
“Thousands of young people depend on this land to learn and earn a living. Evicting us will not just destroy business it will destroy livelihoods,” he added.
In 2019, the artisans filed a petition to stop a joint project between the county government and Kenya Railways to build Uhuru Market on the contested site. A counter-suit by Kenya Railways, was later consolidated with the original case.
The Jua Kali Association however says it is weighing legal and diplomatic options following the court ruling, including appealing the judgement and seeking dialogue with the government agencies.
“We respect the court’s decision but will explore all available legal avenues. We are also appealing to President William Ruto to intervene and safeguard the livelihoods of thousands of hustlers who depend on this land,” said Odanga.
As the artisans plan on their next move, there is uncertainty over the fate of one of Kenya’s largest informal business hubs, a space that has fueled innovation, self-employment and craftsmanship in the lakeside city for decades.
