Families spend night in cold after houses demolished over land dispute

ELDORET, KENYA: It will be a gloomy Christmas for 13 families in Moiben Location, Uasin Gishu County, after their houses were demolished and properties destroyed following a land dispute.

The incident happened after the expiry of 30 notice of eviction issued by the environment and lands court in Eldoret.

The occupants of the 10 acre farm alleged that they acquired the land legally from the owner who is now deceased, through sale agreement signed by the area chief.

It is after the owner's demise that one of her daughter-in-law claimed the land was not sold and the occupants were there illegally.

Before first occupying the land in 2008, the owner assured the dwellers that the land had no disputes only for them to learn later that they had been hoodwinked because she had moved to court seeking to displace them.

Daniel Samoei, one of the people who bought the land said that they were served with the notices by the plaintiff, who was the land owner's child and told to sign not knowing exactly what the signatures meant to them.

"She gave me papers to sign, I asked her what they were for and she told me the papers were part of a process towards acquiring the tittle deeds and I put my pen on that paper not knowing I was signing my journey to homelessness," said Samoei. He added; "My 12 children and I are now homeless, we have been rained on since the 6am incident when the bulldozer came to demolish our houses, I do not know what to do next. I have no place to move in with my large family since I sold all my land before I moved here."

The shocked dwellers said that they have not had any quarrels with anyone since they moved into the land and they are yet to come into terms with the change of events.