•Granny Nzula Wambua had lived on the land, says her husband jointly owned the property with his brother
•Chief blames "individualistic" young men for failing to cooperate with the elderly woman
An 85-year-old Machakos grandmother is homeless after being forcibly evicted from land claimed by her extended family on Wednesday.
Nzula Wambua has lived on the property at Kisooni village in Mungala since 1972. She had cultivated the land for subsistence since the death of her husband, Wambua Muloo.
She is now appealing for help. “I woke up in the morning, as usual, today, but, while lighting a jiko to prepare breakfast, heard a group of people talking outside my house. When I came out, I found young men with iron bars and axes, among other tools. They ordered me out together with the children and demolished all the houses,” Nzula said.
“The area chief, who accompanied the men, said the demolitions were a result of a court order.”
Nzula said the land in dispute was jointly bought by her husband and a brother-in-law, who is also dead.
She accused her nephew of planning the eviction.
“My husband jointly bought this land with his brother, whose son is effecting the eviction, and sub-divided it to family members. The brother-in-law agreed to settle in another piece of land belonging to the family in Yatta sub-county. Unfortunately, he died before moving out of this land, leading to the dispute that has now befallen us,” Nzula, who lived with her five grandsons and their wives, said.
She unsuccessfully pleaded with the nephew to spare the three houses in which they lived. She had 10 children, but only four married daughters are alive. They no longer live with her.
Chief Mathew Mulee said those behind the eviction had a court order but blamed young members of the family for being "individualistic" and failing to cooperate with the elderly woman to solve the problem.
Nzula said she was unaware of the court order. She said there had never been a dispute when her husband was alive. “I have never been informed of any land dispute case in court,” she said.
Her grandchildren are jobless and depend on odd jobs to support their families.