The National Housing Corporation (NHC) says the ongoing demolitions at Changamwe Estate, Changamwe Sub county in Mombasa will not stop.
In a statement, the government body says the demolitions are in order and are implemented within the law, calling on the tenants to vacate the houses so as to pave way for construction of new units.
The statement further read “The tenants were issued with vacation notice in 2018, and were later in 2023 reminded to vacate the houses, however, they ignored the two notices,”
NHC says it has been conducting the demolitions in broad daylight with very minimal security agencies available since none of the parties wants to engage the other in any form of battle.
“The tenants clearly understand what is required of them, we issued various notices, we gave them more time to relocate, about five years, so they have no reason at all to fight the government housing corporation project,” the statement read in part.
So far, over 20 houses have been brought down and the housing body says it targets all the 84 units sitting on the 58 acre piece of land in Changamwe Sub county.
The National Housing Corporation intends to construct a total of 1000 units under the affordable housing project implemented by Kenya Kwanza government.
The project has however, received a strong backlash from the opposition and Kenyans, many opposing the project saying it will not positively impact their lives.
Local leaders led by Changamwe MP Omar Mwinyi, Mombasa County Assembly Speaker Aharub Khatri, Woman representative Zamzam Mohammed, Kadzandani MCA Fatuma Kushe among others condemned the demolitions terming them illegal and a high level of injustice.
“This is illegal, a grave violation of human rights rights, it amounts to social injustice and it’s against the rule of law since it has subjected the victims to suffering,” said Mwinyi.
On his part, Mombasa County Assembly Speaker Aharub Khatri criticised the government for leaving the families homeless in the name of building ‘affordable houses’.
ODM Leader Raila Odinga while addressing a public rally in Mombasa on Saturday noted that though the project remains noble it should not be forced or imposed on Kenyans.
“People should sit down and deliberate, the government should stop forcing things or else no government project will succeed,” Raila said.
