Fred Mukinda
14 September 2008
Nairobi — Some 143 landlords have sought government intervention to reclaim their houses forcibly occupied during the post election violence in Nairobi's Kibera slum.
The new occupants have not paid rent since the year began.
In a meeting at the slum's Sarang'ombe area on Sunday, residents noted that the current tenant-landlord relationship, if not addressed, was a recipe for chaos.
Others, although occupying houses legally, had stopped paying rent at the onset of the skirmishes, the meeting was also told.
The chaos erupted on December 30, immediately President Kibaki was announced winner of the presidential election.
Kibera District officer Kepha Marube told the Nation that 193 landlord had initially reported losing their houses but only 46 had since been resettled.
"Some of the landlords lived in Kibera while others just visited the slum to collect their monthly dues," he said.
Most of those who fled, he added, were sheltered at the Jamhuri showground and later relocated to the Waithaka DO's office, but the camp was closed last week.
Poll violence
Mr Marube addressed Sunday's meeting, which doubled up as a reconciliatory forum for communities that had clashed during the poll violence.
"We do not want to use force to evict those illegally occupying houses. We want them to move out peacefully so that the owners can return," he said.
Residents who spoke complained that they could not clear rent arrears accumulated since December and asked the landlords for a waiver of the debt.
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