In the Milimani neighborhood of Kakamega County, the State has demolished several buildings, including the home of former Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed, to create space for affordable housing developments.
The leveling of the buildings went ahead on Wednesday even though a court issued orders stopping the demolitions, and the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) in Kakamega criticized the government's decision to demolish the homes.
Nonetheless, some locals participated in the demolitions, telling Citizen Digital that the projects would address the region's housing shortage and that the exercise would help young people in the area by creating job opportunities.
"I'd like to thank the government for the job it is doing. Were it not for the demos, we wouldn't have gotten something to eat today. Youth are financially benefiting by participating in the demolitions," an area resident said.
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Irungu Macharia, the Kakamega Western Regional Commissioner, defended the demolitions in November 2023, stating that they were necessary for the government's commitment to returning public land to its proper use and opening the door for critical development projects.
On September 1, the owners received a notice to vacate, asking them to leave by November 23, when the official demolition process was set to begin. This marked the beginning of the land recovery process.
Macharia also ended rumors that the demolitions would not affect particular Milimani residents.
