More than 200 families in Changamwe, Mombasa County, have been displaced following demolitions carried out at the Changamwe National Housing Estate to pave the way for the construction of affordable housing units.
The demolitions took place early Sunday morning, July 12, despite residents claiming there was an existing court order stopping the exercise. The affected families accused the government of proceeding with the evictions despite the pending legal dispute.
“If National Housing is above the law, we should be told. If the Police are above the law, we should also be told because it is not possible for a court order to be disregarded,” one resident said.
Residents confirmed that they had received a one-month eviction notice issued by the national government in collaboration with the county government. However, they argued that the court order should have suspended the demolitions until the matter was fully determined.
The evictions were reportedly conducted under heavy police presence, with affected residents alleging that officers used force, including teargas, to clear the area and speed up the demolition process.
Before the exercise, local leaders said some residents had received Ksh4,000 from the government to vacate the estate, a move they criticised as insufficient compensation considering the disruption caused.
Community representatives also warned that the demolitions could trigger political fallout in Mombasa, accusing local leaders of failing to protect residents’ interests.
One resident leader stated that if the concerns of affected families continued to be ignored, they would mobilise residents across the county to push for political changes, arguing that the broad-based government had failed to address their grievances.
The demolitions come amid ongoing legal challenges facing Kenya’s Affordable Housing Programme, with Housing Principal Secretary Charles Hinga revealing that he is set to face sentencing in a contempt of court case linked to the project’s legality.
Hinga disclosed on July 8 that the affordable housing programme is defending more than 85 court cases, many involving land ownership disputes, lack of title deeds, insufficient public participation and claims over culturally significant community land.
The controversy follows an audit report by Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu in April that found nearly 70 per cent of ongoing flagship government projects lacked formal title deeds. The findings raised concerns over possible future ownership disputes affecting public investments.
The Changamwe demolitions have renewed debate around the implementation of affordable housing projects, particularly regarding land ownership, compensation, public participation and the protection of residents’ rights.