Senator Agnes Kavindu urges President Ruto to halt home demolition in Machakos

Speaking in Machakos on Monday during the funeral service of the father of the County Assembly's Majority Leader Nicholas Nzioka Wangondi, Kavindu said that it was disrespectful to demolish homes without a notice, making families suffer huge losses.

"Why are people being displaced when there are rains and some people have children? That is not acceptable," he said.

On his part, County Executive Committee Members of Lands Nathaniel Nganga wa Ngangani noted that Machakos governor Wavinya Ndeti has led other leaders in opposing the said demolitions which he says lacked thorough consultations between the National and County government.

Nganga said the demolitions are being done in an inhumane manner, calling for proper investigation and consultations to be done before taking action.

He added that there should be a compensation process for the victims and be given an alternative place where they can rebuild.

The demolitions started in October 2023 when the East African Portland Cement Company won a protracted court battle against a farmers' association named Aimi Ma Lukenya; with over 4298 hectares of land in Mavoko, Machakos County, being in contestation.

The Environment and Land Court dismissed the suit by the association over failure to serve the defendants with amended pleadings.

Since 2014, the matter has been pending at the Environment and Land Court in Machakos County.

According to court documents, Aimi Ma Lukenya filed a fake title deed with entry number 7, yet records from the Ministry of Lands show that the last entry is Number 6. 

The farmers' union sued East African Portland Cement for a declaration of ownership and a permanent injunction restraining the cement producer from any action on the piece of land subject to hearing and determination of the matter. 

In 2016, Aimi Ma Lukenya obtained an order from the court that restrained East African Portland Cement.

On October 9, 2023, Justice Annet Nyukuri struck out the case over failure by the plaintiff to serve its own documents as ordered by the court in May.