Eldoret estate residents evicted in rent arrears dispute
By Winstone.Chiseremi, April 24, 2023About 1200 household members in Pioneer estate on the outskirt of Eldoret town along Eldoret-Kisumu highway were last week left homeless after Uasin Gishu County government enforcement officers forcibly evicted them following a 10 year old rent arrears dispute.
The rent for the devolved unit houses in dispute belongs to the defunct Eldoret municipal council.
The tenants majority of whom have stayed in the houses for more than 30 years were caught unaware as they were still asleep when the county saskaris came calling.
The affected tenant’s lawyer, James Njuguna, has faulted the regional government for violating a court order that barred them from evicting his clients until the matter which is pending at High Court in Eldoret is heard and determined.
Njuguna who was accompanied by Eldoret human rights activists Duncan Arum termed the eviction as inhuman as he displayed copies of court documents to the media in the ground.
The lawyer said it was unfortunate his clients were subjected to inhumane eviction despite the existence of an active court case that ordered for the status quo until the matter is heard and determined.
He told his clients to stay put and not to vacate the houses unless they have been served with a valid eviction order.
Supervise eviction
“This eviction is illegal since the county government has not served us with an eviction order and all senior police officers who were supposed to supervise the eviction have distanced themselves from the eviction exercise,” he said.
Njuguna has vowed to sue the county government for contempt of court order as he regretted that cases of the county government despising court orders are increasing in Uasin Gishu.
The lawyer further said that it was not the first time for the county to violate an active court order.
“I have experienced similar occasions where the county has negated a lawful court order like in the case of Mayabi estate where a senior county officer has been fined Sh200,000 for violating a court order by evicting Mayabi residents irregularly.
On his part, Arum castigated the county government for politicising the eviction exercise.