Protests erupted in Jacaranda area of Watamu in Kilifi County after a tycoon allegedly demolished properties worth millions of shillings following a dispute over land ownership.
The over 38 families including young mothers woke up to a shock as the tycoon with protection of the police, armed hired goons and a grader raided their homes at around 4 am in the morning without notice.
Most of the affected families had built permanent structures with some having storey buildings built with hard earned money as the tycoon claimed ownership of the land.
The demolition was executed at a time when it was raining heavily as victims watched desperately without saving anything from the houses.
Hamisi Kombe alias Robby Rasta said that was the third time demolitions were being done in the area under the supervision of police.
He said strangely enough no single leader from the MCA; Member of parliament and Governor have come to their help.
“We have struggled for decades trying to push authorities to give us land ownership documents in vain, to date we are still called squatters, those who call themselves leaders have not come here and we do not understand them,” he said.
He appealed to President William Ruto who was recently on a tour of Coast Region to distribute thousands of title deeds to intervene and help them get land ownership documents.
Moki Katana, one of the victims who lost a multi-million residential house said he has been in Jacaranda for over 30 years and struggled to construct his dream home.
He said police with masks and over 80 goons in two lorries raided their homes and demolished their houses.
Katana appealed to the Government to intervene and help them get justice as they have nowhere to go, children are sleeping in the cold and cannot go to school.
“For us we just want justice. The National Government please come and help us because we are suffering,” he said.
Beatrice Dume said her daughter called her early in the morning saying her house was being demolished. She rushed to the scene only to be barred by the police from accessing her daughter.
“We want justice. I want my daughter to be compensated for the losses she incurred from the demolition,” she said.
Jackson Tsuwi, another victim of the demolition said apart from the demolition all their household items were stolen by the goons.
“We ask the government to help us because we have nothing at all here and we do not know where to go, we want to be compensated,” he said.
Tsuwi said a tycoon who claimed to be the legal owner of 300 acres of land went to court but even before the matter was concluded, he hired police and goons to demolish their properties at night.
