Ruto Says He Will End Illegal Evictions And Property Demolitions If Elected President

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 1- Kenya Kwanza presidential candidate Dr. William Ruto says he will put to an end the culture of illegal evictions of people and property demolition if elected president on August 9, 2022.

He said where necessary, affected people will be provided with enough notice and compensation promptly paid.

The Deputy President was speaking during the Kenya Kwanza manifesto launch on Thursday evening, at the Kasarani stadium.

“We will not allow such illegal demolitions including those that do not follow due process,” he said.

He pointed out cases where people and more so in Nairobi informal settlements have been forcefully evicted, sometimes without a proper notice.

In 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the government conducted forced evictions in Kariobangi and Ruai areas to pave way for infrastructural development.

The demolitions were largely condemned by human rights organizations including Amnesty International.

More than 5,000 people were rendered homeless in Kariobangi, creating a near humanitarian crisis, at a period when most people had lost their source of income because of the stringent measures put in place by the Ministry of Health, to curb further infection of COVID-19 disease.

Those worst affected were aged women and young children.

Kenya’s 2009 Evictions and Resettlement Guidelines require notice to be written or published in the official government gazette 90 days ahead of time.

Ruto said the incidents were, “inhumane, unconstitutional and should never be allowed to happen again.”