The Khadija residents
protest on Thursday / BRIAN OTIENO
Residents of
Khadija area in Nyali constituency are living in fear of eviction after a tycoon
threatened them.
The tycoon, who has
interests in the paints industry, claims ownership of the 2.5-acre piece of land
that has 18 houses, and at least 255 people on it, opposite Khadija Primary School.
However, the
residents say they have been living on the land left to them by their forefathers.
The problem is they
have no title deeds.
“We got into this
land in 1971 but there is a tycoon, who has teamed up with Mombasa county
officials, saying he bought this land 10 years ago,” Salim Mohamed, a resident,
said on Thursday.
The land has a
church, a mosque, business premises and a garage where at least 40 people get
their daily bread.
Last Friday, police
officers accompanied by county inspectorate officers demolished some of the business
premises, which also included an eatery, in the wee hours.
This is despite an
ongoing court case.
“In the afternoon
on Thursday, they came here saying they have a court order to evict residents.
Then they came later in the night to demolish some of the business premises
first,” Mohamed said.
Mohamed said they
have all ownership documents left to them by the late Mbarak Salim Bakshuain.
“The first house
built on this land was in 1971. The last house to be built was in 1990 by
Abdalla Awadh Said,” Mohamed said.
This comes after President
William Ruto and CS Hassan Joho saying no one should be evicted from their
houses.
The two said the
national government is working to ensure all people at the Coast who have land
get titles so as to avoid such unnecessary clashes. They
issued title deeds to Chaani residents in Changamwe constituency.
Mohamed, a KDF officer,
said it was ironical that they are sent to foreign countries to fight for land
yet their own lands are being taken away from them back at home.
“We have been in
the service for the last 37 years. We have fought in Somali to liberate the
land yet our own lands at home are taken away from us by foreign tycoons. Is
that just?
“The government
sent me to Sierra Leone in 2003; it took be to Dafur in 2006; it has taken me
to Somalia four times to fight for land, which is not my mother’s or father’s,
who died on this land nine years ago,” the emotional Mohamed said.
Juma Juma, a mechanic
at a garage on the land, said he has been working there for the last 20
years.
“But,
lately, we have been having trouble. The tycoon has been disrupting our work and
the other day he destroyed our tools and equipment.”
He said they have
dependents who look up to them for food and shelter.
“Why are they doing
this to us? Are we doing anything illegal?” Juma posed.
He called on
President Ruto to intervene and stop their eviction.
Salome Swaleh, who
operates an eatery on the land, said her stock was stolen by those who
demolished their premises.
“We got a call at around
11pm that Friday that our business premises are being demolished. We reported
the matter at the Nyali police station,” Swaleh said.
Said Harub, a
resident, said it is not right to demolish houses at night.
Ashi Mbarak,
the widow of former Dock Workers Union secretary general Juma Mbarak,
said they bought land and built their house in the early 1980s.
“I just ask for justice
to happen. We have buried our people here. We are not lesser residents or
lesser citizens. We also have rights,” Ashi said.
She also called on
President Ruto to help them protect their land from grabbers.
Mombasa county
lands executive Hussein Mohamed said nobody will be evicted or have
their houses demolished.
Amadow said only
the business premises that have been built without following proper procedures
will be demolished.
“No one will be
evicted from their houses,” he said.
