Woodley residents up in arms over planned eviction

Tension is high in Woodley Estate, Nairobi, as residents protest planned eviction by the Nairobi City County Government, terming it unlawful and inhumane.

At the core of the matter is what residents allege is a campaign of intimidation led by county government leadership through threats of mass eviction scheduled to begin on May 7, 2025.

According to the residents, the county government is planning to evict them from their homes over rent arrears, an allegation they have denied, and dismissed the move as pretext for illegal land grabbing and forced displacement.

"We the residents of Woodley and Joseph Kang’ethe Estate are living in fear for our lives and property. We have been threatened with evictions under the false excuse of rent arrears," said David Livingston, the executive committee member of the Woodley Residents Welfare Society.

The residents claimed that a senior county said that 1,000 hired individuals from Pipeline area, backed by 100 armed police officers, will be deployed to forcefully evict them beginning this week.

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The official is also accused of boasting about orchestrating the recent demolition of 43 houses in the area.

But residents said the county government narrative is built on falsehoods.

“The truth is that the county leadership is using illegal and fraudulent accounting processes to fabricate rent arrears,” said Livingston, reading from a joint statement.

He said that the allegations affect nearly half of the estate’s population and lack any legal or procedural foundation.

Livingston explained that residents fall under two categories, homeowners who bought their houses from the defunct Nairobi City Council and possess legal title deeds and tenants who rent county-owned houses.

He said that the Homeowners properties are protected under Article 40 of the Constitution, and some have ongoing or concluded court cases affirming their ownership.

“There have been court rulings, two in favor of homeowners and one in favor of the county. The county is now using that single unfavorable judgment to generalize that all titles are invalid, which is unlawful,” Livingston said.

Further, the Woodley Residents Welfare Society executive committee member recounted that in 2019, the then county administration under former governor Mike Sonko gazetted a rent waiver under the Nairobi City County Tax Waiver Act.

The residents said that the waiver is now being unilaterally overturned by current leadership of Governor Johnson Sakaja to justify evictions.

“The county government leadership is acting in contempt of court by ignoring legal protections granted to homeowners and tenants alike. They are not following the legally mandated eviction processes, which require court orders and due process,” said Livingston.

Livingston further accused county officials of disrespect and intimidation.

“We have no proper channel for dialogue. Our elderly residents, some of whom have served this country since 1964, are being threatened without regard for their age, health, or dignity,” he said.

He said that elderly residents, some battling serious health conditions, are now grappling with trauma following past demolitions in the area.

“These are people who have lived here for over 50 years. Evicting them in such a short notice is undignified and unjust,” said Livingston.

The Woodley Residents Welfare Society official is now calling on the county government to immediately halt the planned evictions and instead form a mediation committee to address the rent and ownership disputes.

The residents plan to present a formal petition to the office of the governor on Tuesday.

“If the county leadership proceeds with these unlawful evictions, it will be complicit in the suffering and displacement of innocent citizens. We will not stand by silently,” he said.