More than 100 structures built on Portland Cement land in Mavoko flattened
More than 100 structures illegally built on East African Portland Cement Company (EAPCC) land in Mavoko sub-county were demolished on Thursday, the third day of demolition.
Heavy machinery, protected by a contingent of heavily armed police officers, flattened both permanent and temporary structures on the prime land.
Since 2016, various quarters of suspected land grabbers had occupied the piece of land leading to instances of insecurity. A Nairobi-based tycoon has been linked to the disputed piece of land.
The multi-million shilling prime piece of land was abandoned in the 1990s after the state-owned cement processing company exhausted its mining resources.
The majority of the current victims of the ongoing demolition bought their respective plots from briefcase sales companies set up to defraud unsuspecting land buyers.
As the demolition entered its third day on Thursday, more than 50 families were left homeless, with some structures unoccupied.
Fifteen people armed with arrows were arrested on the first day.
Also read: Worst day of our lives, but we are coping
Plots of land
Those who spoke to the Nation on Thursday said they had been reduced to paupers, but were at pains to explain how they had acquired their plots of land.
"I had planned to move into my three-bedroom house next month, but it was demolished today," said a dejected father of two.
Senior government officials overseeing the operation from Nairobi refused to speak to the media.
A senior local police officer, who spoke to the Nation in confidence, said the operation would be extended for an unknown number of days, targeting hundreds of acres fully occupied by "squatters".
"It's orders from above, hundreds of acres are being targeted, that's all I can say," he said.
The Nation could not establish whether the officials had a court order authorising the demolition.
So far, no local leader has spoken about the demolition.
