A family at Kanyokora village in Kirinyaga West is in shock after people said to be auctioneers descended on their home and destroyed everything.
Peterson Maina,70, said the raiders who were accompanied by armed police officers and hired goons destroyed five semi-permanent houses following a dispute over land.
They cut down macadamia and mango trees using power saws and felled bananas and other crops in the farms during the 8pm raid on Friday last week. In 2004, three people, Augustine Mwangi, Grace Wamutira and Murimi Ndonyo, moved to court seeking to kick Maina and his family from the five acres they said belongs to them.
However, Maina maintained the land belongs to him. He said he bought it in 1961. And just before Christmas, the Baricho Senior Principal Magistrate’s Court ruled in their favour and ordered Maina and his family to vacate the land. However, Maina says the orders were never served to him until December 27. last year.
He said he was shocked to see a huge number of people invade his home and destroy property even before an appeal he has filed before the Kerugoya Land and Environment Court is heard and determined.
Maina, who has been living on the land with 20 members of his family, said he had planned to move to court this morning for orders blocking the eviction pending determination of his appeal.
[Article source: The Standard, by Munene Kamau]
