Government Actions in Athi River Elicit Strong Criticism
Azimio la Umoja Chief Principal, Raila Odinga, expressed his disapproval of the house demolitions on the East Africa Portland Cement land in Machakos County. He described the demolitions as cruel. According to him, these demolitions have left many residents of the area in a vulnerable position, especially considering the impending heavy rains forecasted by the weatherman.
“People in Mavoko have faced attacks, witnessed the demolition of their houses, churches, and schools. The country is anticipating heavy El Nino rains, and now these people have lost their shelter,” Raila said. “It was Ruto who ordered the residents to be removed from the land, and this is an inhumane act. When you displace people from land they’ve occupied for a long time, where should they go?”
Raila argued that if there is a genuine need to relocate Kenyans from their land, the government should first provide them with alternative land for resettlement. He also emphasized that the government should have houses ready for the affected Kenyans to live in before demolishing their homes.
“You should not displace people from their homes as if they were animals. This is inhumane, and we strongly condemn it,” Raila concluded.
Kalonzo Musyoka, the leader of the Wiper Party, expressed solidarity with the people of Mavoko whose homes had been demolished. He highlighted the upcoming national exams, KCPE and KCSE, and the fact that some learners in Mavoko were left homeless due to the demolitions.
“Out of the 37 churches in the area, five have already been demolished,” he added.
Raila and Kalonzo made these statements while attending a prayer and thanksgiving ceremony in Kitui County. The previous day, bulldozers demolished numerous homes in the ‘Aimi ma Lukenya’ settlement scheme in Mavoko Constituency, in full view of the property owners.
A court order had indicated that the disputed land belonged to Portland Cement and not to the residents who had occupied it for many years. On October 9th, 2023, the Environment and Land Court in Machakos dismissed a court case filed by ‘Aimi ma Lukenya,’ who had laid claim to the 4,298-acre prime land. Lady Justice A. Nyukuri ruled that ‘Aimi Ma Lukenya’ had failed to serve their documents to the defendants as ordered by the court.
