Families stranded as belongings looted, officials remain silent

Tenants in Buruburu Estate, Nairobi, are accusing the county government of sending goons to forcefully evict them from county-owned houses—even though many say they've fully paid their rent.

The residents say the evictions started earlier this week without warning. Since then, dozens of families have been left stranded on the streets. Their household items were allegedly thrown out, stolen, or destroyed in the process.

In emotional accounts shared Friday, several tenants said the attackers posed as county officials. They reportedly broke into homes, took valuables, and even paraded around the estate wearing the tenants’ clothes.

“I had just left City Hall when I got a call. By the time I came back, my door was broken, my bags gone, and strangers were walking around in my clothes,” said one resident, who has lived in the estate for years. “I had already paid my rent. I don’t understand why this is happening.”

Rent Paid, But Still Evicted

Multiple tenants said they had settled their rent arrears but were still targeted. Some claim they were never issued formal eviction notices and were caught off guard by the operation.

“They didn’t even knock. We just saw people coming in, throwing things out. When we asked for help, even the estate officer said he didn’t know what was going on,” another tenant shared.

Others say when they checked with the housing department, they were told they had been "removed from the system." This left them wondering: if they were no longer in the system, who had been receiving their rent payments?

Claims of Land Grab and Resale

Adding to the tension, residents allege that the houses have already been reallocated—reportedly sold for up to Ksh2.5 million each to new occupants waiting to move in.

“There are credible reports that these houses have been sold. Some people have even paid and are just waiting to take over,” said one elderly resident who has lived in the estate for over three decades.

County Crackdown Expands

These evictions are part of a wider crackdown by the Nairobi County Government. The stated aim is to recover rent arrears from public housing tenants.

So far, similar operations have been carried out in Woodley, Kariobangi South, Kariakor, Ngara, Uhuru Estate, New Pumwani, Lumbumba, Maringo, and Ofafa Jericho.

But in Buruburu, residents say this isn’t just a rent recovery operation—it feels more like an illegal takeover.

“We’re not refusing to pay rent. Most of us already have,” one tenant said. “We just want the truth—and our homes back.”