Raila visits Kakamega demolition sites, condemns exercise

Azimio leader Raila Odinga has condemned the demolition of houses in Kakamega to pave the way for the Affordable Housing Programme.

Raila, who visited the area on Friday accompanied by area leaders, said the demolitions are illegal and it was for that reason the national government has been conducting the exercise at night.

“Even during the worst days of Nyayo dictatorship, we never witnessed anything like this,” the Azimio leader said.

Raila wondered why the national government has continued with the exercise even after the High Court declared the Housing Levy illegal.

“Why do say you want to build affordable houses and then you demolish those that are already there to pave THE way for the programme. What kind of work is this,” he posed.

He added:

“You cannot force people to stay in the houses you have built.”

Former Kakamega governor Wycliffe Oparanya said the land in question does not belong to the national government.

He said the land was under the county council until 1988 when Kakamega became a municipality.

 “The land is under municipality of Kakamega. We do not know why they have come here to demolish the houses. It is an evil thing,” he said.

Billionaire Jaswant Singh Rai, the chairman of the West Kenya Sugar Company, is among those affected by the demolitions.

President William Ruto commissioned the affordable housing project for Kakamega in Milimani estate during his last visit to the area in September.

Western Regional Commissioner Irungu Macharia has since defended the demolitions.

He said the move is part of the government's commitment to restoring public land to its rightful purpose, paving the way for essential development projects.

"We have done our best to try and recover that land in Milimani Bloc B from the people who took it. The exercise began on September 1. We have been doing the demolitions every day, and we are near completion," Macharia stated.

Kakamega county government on the other hand is contemplating moving to court to sue the state over the exercise.

Governor Fernandes Barasa said his administration will be seeking millions of shillings in compensation.

Barasa said his administration was not consulted by the national government over the demolitions.

“We are an interested party in this matter because part of this land belongs to the defunct municipality and on that basis, the land is automatically under county government,” he said.

He has also faulted the regional commissioner for issuing the demolition order.