Mbotela traders fight eviction after court ruling

Elderly charcoal dealers in Mbotela Estate along Jogoo Road are counting their losses after their structures were demolished on Friday from land they have lived on since independence.

The Mbotela Charcoal Dealers Self-Help Group claimed ownership of the land.

However, on Friday morning, police officers provided security as the demolition continued, while plot owners attempted to salvage their property.

According to John Waweru, one of the affected plot owners, the police arrived with goons who began demolishing their structures.

“It was around 7 a.m. when we were awakened by noise and commotion, only to step outside and see heavy police presence as goons demolished the iron-roofed structures we have called home for years,” said an angry and tearful Waweru.

He added, “We have lost many valuables because the police didn’t give us a chance to bring down the structures ourselves. Where is the government in all this? Why are people so inhuman? Who will the poor cry to?”

The traders maintain that the land was surrendered to them by the Nairobi City Council, which, on October 11, 2002, through the Town Clerk, gave consent for the formalization and allocation of space for their charcoal business.

They blamed the owner of a construction company, who also claims ownership of the land, for the demolition on Friday.

The traders insist that their land is registered under number 209/4844/124, not number 209/4844/59/R, which belongs to the construction company.

They accused the firm’s owner of failing to honor a court order, which required them to appear in court on January 28. Records show that the land was subdivided, and each trader operating under the self-help group was issued an allotment letter on November 28, 2002.