This archive report was first published on 1 July 2020.
As Kenya reported its first case of COVID-19, President Uhuru Kenyatta announced the implementation of a 21-day lockdown to prevent further spread of the virus.
On March 27, 2020, the President ordered the closure of all public gatherings and on April 25, 2020, he extended the lockdown by another 21 days.
On May 6, 2020, the President further extended the lockdown by 30 days.
However, some residents of Nairobi and those who had ventured out to the countryside when the lockdown was first announced found themselves locked out of the city and facing the wrath of landlords who had resorted to breaking into their homes.
One such incident was reported in the Zimmerman area of Nairobi where a landlord broke into a plot and destroyed the homes of tenants who had been locked out of the city.
The landlord was quoted as saying, 'The rent has been paid and includes several months before the corona pandemic, I want to know when I will be paid.'
According to eyewitnesses, the operation was led by a local chief and a police officer and resulted in several homes being broken into and their occupants being forced to vacate the premises.
However, it has been reported that some landlords have been forced to return the rent they had collected from tenants who had been locked out of the city.
One such landlord was quoted as saying, 'We have been trying to reach the owner of the plot but he has not responded to our calls, we are demanding that he returns the rent he collected from us.'
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc on the economy, many landlords are finding themselves in a desperate bid to recover their losses.
One such landlord was quoted as saying, 'I have been locked out of my home for several months, I have no income and I am struggling to pay my rent, I am not sure what the future holds.'
