Residents from Watamu on Saturday morning were shocked after a local tycoon demolished their residential homes and a private restaurant over land disputes case.
The tycoon is said to have hired goons and was accompanied by police officers while carrying out the demolishing activity.
According to the residents they were forced to leave their houses before the wrath of demolish gets them.
“I'm sad of what has happened to us, my house was demolished early morning by goons in the presences of police officers,” said one of the local residents.
Chaos erupted when youths from the area begun attacking the police together with the hired goons after the demolition exercise was extended to the beach area where most of the fishermen park their fishing boats.
They engaged the police in running battles for over three hours forcing the security personnel to use teargas to disperse them, eventually some youths allegedly were spotted torching down villas.
The prolonged drama between the police and the youths left residents counting loses as their property was being burnt to ashes.
It is said that one of the villas burnt down belongs to a prominent journalist who has been helping Kenya for years while the other belongs to a former Italian Minister and world football champion.
Speaking to journalist at the scene Amina Sudi who owns one of the restaurant said she lost property worth over Sh1 million.
“This is a big blow to me and my family, coming to terms with this incident will surely take time, I have has been depending on the restaurant for my daily bread and also I have has been employing residents from the area as workers,” she said.
The tycoon has been accused of working together with elders in Watamu to claim ownership of the public beach against the law.
Residents warwarned the tycoon that he will not undertake any construction activity in the area until the land dispute is settled.
“We shall nor seat and watch this man violate our right, though we are poor one should not take us for a ride and come to decide the fate of our lives, we will fight till the last minute,” said one of the residents.
However they called upon the national government through the National Land Commission (NLC) and the county government of Kilifi to quickly intervene and rescue them from being called squatters in their ancestral land.
Among the restaurants destroyed include sunrise restaurant, Coconut beach café among others.