Multiple homes in Athi River were demolished on Friday evening following a directive from President William Ruto regarding land that had been taken from the East Africa Portland Cement Company (EAPCC).
As a result of the President’s order, several houses were brought down by bulldozers, which forced property owners to find new places to live. Notably, some of the homes were still under construction.
Videos obtained by local press showed residents attempting to salvage what remained after the demolitions. Some were seen moving their valuable belongings to other locations.
A few residents, including former Tusker Project Fame contestant Alvan Gatitu, who goes by the name Alvan Love, expressed their dissatisfaction with the President’s directive. They pointed out that many families were left without shelter due to the demolitions. Alvan Love also complained that the victims had unknowingly purchased the land, as they were unaware of the ongoing land dispute.
He shared a message from the chairman who allegedly sold them the land in a residents’ Whatsapp group. The message read, in part: “Hello members, my heartfelt concerns to those affected. It was really inhuman; we were misled by our lawyer, but things will soon be resolved. Our governor, Her Excellency Wavinya Ndeti, has engaged with the concerned parties and top national administrators, and the demolitions have been halted.”
Following a court ruling that found the landowners guilty of trespassing, President Ruto ordered the reclaimed land to be transferred to the Export Processing Zones (EPZ) in Athi River. He stated, “I have given clear instructions to the management here that all speculators, people who have held titles to pieces of land for 10, 15, 20, 30 years without developing them, should be revoked so that we can give it to people who want to use this facility.”
