Plans are at an advanced stage to evict tenants over rent arrears by the Nairobi City County Housing Department. Sources at City Hall divulged to The Weekly Vision that the county is owed over Ksh. 300m in rent arrears dating back to ten years ago. Already tenants in 26 estates in the Eastlands area have been notified of the planned evictions.
Last week, Eastland’s senior revenue officer Mutegi Iringo told officials of Jericho Lumumba Residents Association (JLRA) led by Walter Ogoli that an eviction notice will soon be served to defaulters. “The problem has been aggravated by past tendency to prevail upon elected political leaders to intervene each time notices are issued for tenant pay up. A promise of rents arrears being waived made by the political class made matters worse,” said Iringo. Residents are now blaming the elected leaders for promising to waive the rent arrears for them but later failing to do so. The tenants have now been left at the mercy of the Nairobi City County Government.
Mr Iringo said a deal on waivers was never implemented as other state agencies and the National Treasury were not fully engaged in the process. “What tenants are yet to come to terms with is the difference between a political statement from a political leader and policy,” said Iringo. Makadara MP George Aladwa has been accused of misleading residents that rent arrears would be waived yet he has not discussed the same with City Hall.
