It was a case of reversed roles when UDA Senator Allan Chesang protested ongoing demolitions in his home county as houses were brought down in order to pave way for President William Ruto’s pet housing project.
Thousands of residents in Trans Nzoia County were forcibly evicted from their homes on Friday, February 2, to make way for Ruto’s affordable housing project.
Senator Allan Chesang, a close ally of Ruto, has also come out to blame Governor George Natembeya for supporting the housing project in Trans Nzoia at the expense of the evicted residents.
Natembeya was elected on a DAP-K ticket which is in the Azimio la Umoja coalition. The Azimio coalition has openly opposed Ruto’s affordable housing project.
According to the youthful Senator, the evictions, which were conducted under police supervision, will displace approximately over 100,000 people by the end of the demolition exercise.
In his assessment of the situation, Senator Chesang criticized both the County and National governments for failing to provide alternative land for those affected before carrying out the demolitions.
“The government should have prioritized compensating the victims before forcefully evicting them,” said the UDA Senator.
He further urged the government to consider negotiating with residents willing to cooperate to avoid a looming crisis and displacement.
“It is painful that the government that the people of Trans Nzoia County voted in are chasing them from their land. These are people that bought land from other people,” Senator Chesang lamented.
Senator Chesang, while blaming Trans Nzoia County Governor George Natembeya, accused him of supporting the demolitions instead of offering viable solutions for the stranded residents.
“We support the government on this project but not on its position of evicting people from this land,” stated Chesang.
Social amenities, including schools and hospitals, bore the brunt of the evictions. Notably, the senator highlighted the demolition of the Cherangani Level 4 hospital, which serves thousands of residents.
