• Many tenants in Nairobi and other towns are grappling with this reality as the coronavirus outbreak has grounded all activities, including businesses and jobs.
• Government asked tenants to strike a give and take deal given the prevailing uncertainty created by the Covid-19 outbreak.
Image: NDICHU WAINAINA
James Wambula hoped his landlord would be as merciful when he heard about the Nyandarua property owner who gave his tenants three months relief.
Wambula lives in Uthiru in Kiambu county with his wife and five children in a one-bedroom house.
He is a construction labourer and with all sites closed to enforce social distancing, he is jobless.
But the landlord's agent turned up last Friday at 7am demanding the rent and water bill. His children were still sleeping in the living room.
Within an hour, the landlord had padlocked the door and would hear none of his pleas for mercy.
“It took the pleading by my neighbours for the agent to open the door for me, strapped all in with my family. This was 11am,” he told the Star.
Many tenants in Nairobi and other towns are grappling with this reality as the coronavirus outbreak has grounded all activities, including businesses and jobs.
Fredrick Ng’anga’ works as an Uber and Taxify driver lives in Kikuyu.
A master’s degree holder, Ng’ang’a is married with a seven-month-old daughter. However, the outbreak has left him indoors, unable fend for his family.
His wife of three years is also a master’s degree holder and is jobless.
On Sunday, his water meter was disconnected by the landlord’s agent for last month’s rent arrears. He had not defaulted for the last year he has stayed there.
“This is very painful. With an infant, it is hard to live without water especially given the high hygiene standards required right now,” he told the Star.
The agent said he would be back by today (Wednesday) to lock the house if he had not paid.
“I have used all my savings to feed my family. Where do I get money? I want to work but I cannot. I just don’t know what to do,” he said.
The tale was similar for Rose Omenya who lives in a two-bedroom house in Kangemi.
Married with two children, Omenya hosts her two siblings who are students at the University of Nairobi’s Upper Kabete campus.
Her husband works as a data collector in NGO projects when contracted while she is a businesswoman at the market.
She says the sales have been low with most people taking credit. Her husband has not had contracts for the last two months as most NGOs had their projects cancelled due to funding cuts by western donors.
The effect is that they are yet to pay last month’s rent, but her landlady was adamant that she must be paid.
“It is yet she had goons break into the house and throw out our house items including seats and beddings. How heartless, yet we have never defaulted for four years now,” Omenya said.
“My husband had to arrange to have our cow upcountry sold so we pay up by evening. We don’t know how it would be in the coming months if the situation remains the same."
Even worse, Eugene Momanyi who lives in Kwangware had his family of five spend the night on Tuesday at neighbours’ houses as his landlord locked them out and disconnected water meter for not paying up.
Momanyi, a matatu tout, was surprised to find his property thrown out and his wife and children waiting for him outside at 6pm.
Sure, he had a solution. To beat the curfew hour, he hurried and distributed his children and wife to his neighbours to spend the night as he organised himself.
“With the cap on the number of passengers we carry, I almost come home with nothing. Life is really hard for me. My wife is a housewife and I’m the only breadwinner,” he said.
President Uhuru Kenyatta and Health CS Mutahi Kagwe had pleaded with landlords to be considerate to their tenants.
The government asked tenants to strike a give and take deal given the prevailing uncertainty created by the Covid-19 outbreak.
(edited by o. owino)