Chokaa, Njiru residents in eviction panic as Kirimas demand full land payments

Nairobi's Chokaa and Njiru settlements are shrouded in the chilling fog of uncertainty and delicately balancing on the brink of eviction, with the Kirima family demanding full payment for the land parcels they occupy.

Legal representatives of the late Gerishon Kirima's estate issued strict conditions through offer letters, stipulating a deadline of December 19, 2023, for residents to meet the payment demands.

Mackenzie Odera, an occupant of Chokaa upper chamber, expressed the community's concern, stating, "We ended the year with fear, and we have opened the year with even more fear."

"We know the procedure for selling land...let the owners follow it! Land isn't like flour you buy at the shop and start cooking with," the irate resident said.

The offer letters, distributed to residents last month, detailed the payment terms based on plot size and location.

One such letter outlined a purchase cost of Sh2.167 million for a 30 by 60 feet plot, with an additional Sh100,000 administrative fee covering various expenses.

Residents, however, argue that the imposed amounts exceed the current land value in the area.

Juliet Nyagothie Mbogo appealed, "We request that they reconsider the amount they want us to pay because it is too much...we are not refusing to pay for the land."

Scepticism shadowed the offer as doubts arose about valuations conducted without a single step onto the contested soil.

Independent valuers pegged the plots' worth significantly lower, fueling suspicion.

"Recently, we called a valuer who assessed the value of a 30 by 60 feet plot to be Sh750,000...where did these valuers come from," another resident named Evans Ombaa questioned, frustration echoing in his voice.

Despite a court ruling last October in favour of the late Kirima's estate, ordering the settlers to vacate the land, residents are pinning their hopes on the Environment and Lands Court.

A decision on their petition is expected on January 23, 2024.

In response to the situation, Ombaa emphasized, "If the Kirima family owns the land, they should come and negotiate with us. We are willing to pay in instalments as we did with cartels. Our message to those sent to us is that we won't talk to them; we want to talk to the landowners."

The residents urge a peaceful resolution, appealing to the Kirima family to engage in dialogue and agree on a more reasonable payment plan.

As the January 23, 2024, deadline approaches, the fate of these communities hangs in the balance, awaiting the court's final verdict.