This archive report was first published on 23 October 2019.
On October 23, 2019, a demolition exercise in Nairobi's Ziwani area left many residents without homes, and now they are pointing fingers at their area MCA, Millicent Wambui Mugadi.
According to Margaret Nduta, a resident who claims to have bought the land in 1999 from the City Council of Nairobi, MCA Mugadi has been involved in the dispute over the land since 2017.
Nduta alleges that MCA Mugadi sent goons to demolish their structures, which were located next to the Kariokor cemetery, and that she has even moved to court to validate their occupation of the land.
‘I bought this piece of land in 1999 from the City Council of Nairobi. I have paid land rates that have totaled up to over Ksh. 400,000,’ Nduta cried, adding that she lost crucial documents and Ksh. 200,000 to the goons who demolished their houses.
MCA Mugadi has denied any involvement in the demolitions, stating that the land belongs to the Commonwealth and was used as a cemetery during World War II.
She claims that it is the National government that is reclaiming the land, and that she is unable to help the residents in the matter.
‘In 2017 during Kidero’s time, I tried to help these guys by telling the Commonwealth People to move the cemeteries from the area since people had already started encroaching the land, but these same people insisted that the cemeteries should not be moved. Now Commonwealth wants to fence its land since it’s its burial site, they are the first ones to cry. So how do they want to be helped?’ explained Mugadi.
