In a bold move linked to Deputy President William Ruto’s affordable housing initiative, government bulldozers descended on the palatial residence of West Kenya Sugar Company Chairman Jaswant Rai in Kakamega County on Monday night.
Rai’s house and a rental property in Milimani Estate were among the casualties of the project, which aims to construct 200 units and create over 3,500 jobs.
Hundreds of residents, including civil servants and judges, were left homeless by the demolition.
The operation was carried out under heavy police presence, who used tear gas to disperse the protesting residents.
Some of them claimed to have court orders and decades-long occupancy rights, but their pleas fell on deaf ears.
Officers from the Kenya Wildlife Service also took part in the demolition, rescuing a tortoise and a snake from Rai’s property.
Rai, who has been at loggerheads with the Kenya Kwanza administration over the sugar industry, now faces the wrath of Ruto’s housing agenda.
President Ruto launched the project in August, saying it would generate 120,000 jobs across the country, especially for the youth in artisan jobs.
Speaking at a Nairobi labor conference, President Ruto defended the project against the protests and legal challenges from the affected residents, saying it was for the greater good of the nation.
