Machakos: Families spend night in the cold after their homes were demolished

The demolitions occurred in the wee hours of Saturday, leading to chaos and panic.

Daudi Barasa, a resident, said a group of people flanked by police officers arrived in vehicles with concealed number plates around 1.00am on Saturday – and began the demolitions.

Residents claim they have lived on the said piece of land for over seven years without any dispute.

“If there were any legal issues surrounding the land, we would have been served with court orders. These demolitions are unlawful and heartless,” Barasa said.

Among the victims is Wangoi Waweru, whose multi-million home now lies in ruins.

Wangui describes the ordeal as traumatising.

“Over 200 individuals stormed our property and demolished everything. It was terrifying. They treated us like criminals," Wangoi said.

Residents could be seen making desperate attempts to try and salvage whatever remained of what used to be their homes; beaten building materials, bended doors and iron sheets that had been forcefully torn down.

As the demolitions were taking place, criminals are said to have taken advantage of the chaos to loot property.

James Thuo, a caretaker at one of the demolished properties, painted a grim picture of how a retinue of police officers arrived with unchecked fury, standing guard as the homes were getting torn down, and property worth millions turned into dust.

Many homes were reduced to rubble, with a newly established school built to serve the community not spared either.

As the affected families struggle to recover, unanswered questions linger in their minds, leaving them grappling with trauma and uncertainty.