Tenants at the Kenya Railways Corporation houses in Athi River town have been told to vacate the company property or be forcefully evicted.
At a news briefing in his office on Monday, Athi River Deputy County Commissioner, Kodeck Makori, said the tenants were doing injustice to the corporation by refusing to move out of the houses despite being served with eviction orders.
He claimed that the over 300 tenants were aggressive and had shown indications that they were not ready to vacate the houses.
An eviction letter seen by Hivisasa dated April 29, 2015 and allegedly signed by Jane Mbugua, Estates Officer Central Region for Estates Manager, reads in part, “We wish to inform you that due to continuous nonpayment of rent despite our efforts, we hereby terminate your tenancy by giving you one month notice to vacate. Please arrange to hand over vacant possessions back to the corporation in the estate department before close of business on May 29, 2015 for our further action."
But a section of the residents said they were not persuaded with the reasons given by KR for them to leave. "We are not convinced with the reasons given for our evictions and therefore will not leave," said their spokesperson Josphat Moseti.
He said most of the tenants of the 42 houses in question had lived in them for over 30 years and had facilitated their own connections of water and electricity which the corporation failed to provide them long ago.
He refuted claims that the tenants had rent arrears stating that majority of them pay their rents in time hence termed the reason as a scapegoat.
"Kenya Railways Corporation's management should be genuine in their reasons and tell us why they want to effect the evictions. Majority of the tenants have all paid their rents hence do not have any arrears as claimed," stated Moseti.
The spokesperson further stated the KR did not consult them in reaching at the decision. He claimed that the corporation had sold the land to a local investor who it had also sold to 18 other houses in the town prompting their forceful eviction last year.
Another tenant John Shitanda, said most of the tenants were casual labourers in various industries in the town and can only afford the houses which KR charges between Sh500 and Sh2,000 per month. He asked the government to intervene by reversing the eviction order.
However, the deputy county commissioner said the houses belong to the government given that the corporation is a parastatal and therefore tenants have to move out before they are forcefully evicted.
"The government has a right to request the public to move out of its land or any other properties whenever it wants to develop them or otherwise utilise them in spite of how long individuals have enjoyed benefits from the property," added Makori.