A section of tenants in the defunct Municipal Council Houses(Now County houses) have told off individuals going round with misleading information that the county houses will be demolished to pave way for affordable housing program.
The tenants termed such as as baseless propaganda aimed at causing unnecessary conflict between the county government of Nakuru and the occupants of the houses in Kivumbini Flamingo and Bondeni estates.
Addressing Journalists at Flamingo Estate in Nakuru East Sub County, the tenants also distanced themselves from the current County Houses Tenants Association.
They claimed the body has vested interests and that the officials of the said body have been using it to embezzle funds from tenants in the name of expenses for perennial court petitions concerning the houses, despite a county notice that there was no any court case.
The tenants led by John Adero alias Oti maintained that they will no longer buy the ideas of propagandists and individuals who have vested interests political around the County Houses.
He revealed that the only entities they can listen to are County Government of Nakuru(the Landlord) and the elected MCAs from the Wards where the houses are.
According to him, several meetings have been held between leaders, representatives and the MCAs, meetings that saw Governor Susan Kihika announce a waiver of all the rent arrears.
He added that there was no issue of demolitions, but it was agreed that tenants start paying rent as from December 2024.
“We want to tell off the individuals behind the political propaganda that county houses will be demolished. The County position on these houses has been clear that no houses will be demolished. A waiver was made by Governor and what we agreed is that we start paying rent afresh as from December and that is the position,” he stated.
Patrick Kanga who has lived in the defunct Municipal Council Houses for more than two decades says he has witnessed numerous cases in court over rent until Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika stepped in with a waiver.
According to Mr Patrick, renovations have been going on and with the waiver by County Government, then tenants have an obligation to just pay the rent as agreed as from December.
On the issue of brokers who have been going around urging tenants to pay Sh 200 for court cases expenses, Mr.Patrick was categorical that a time is now for an end to such adding that there is no association as it stands and tenants should only listen to the Landlord(County Government) and the elected MCAs from the Wards that have the county houses.
“We know we have individuals who have been using the issue of County Houses to enrich themselves and gain political popularity. But this time round we are saying an end to such,” he stated.
Joseph Akatch- a resident distanced himself from the Tenants’ Association umbrella.
He faulted the Association for going round the county estates with false information that the houses will be demolished.
While expressing trust in the County Government of Nakuru and the elected MCAs for Kivumbini, Biashara and Flamingo Wards over the matter, Akatch stated that the waiver and new rent remittance is a process that will follow all the systematic structure in place.
“As tenants, we will not allow anyone to mislead us with alarming information over county houses. We know the right channels that we can use to get the information from county government,” he stated.
Ms Veronica on her part recalled the pronouncement by Governor Kihika over the matter during two meetings; in Flamingo and Kamukunji Grounds where she assured that no demolitions.
According to Veronica, the information that the tenants are now waiting is on the process of identification and registration so that they can commence paying new rent charges.
“The Governor made it clear in Flamingo and Kamukunji Grounds that the waiver is there and that we start paying rent afresh as from December. We are just waiting for identification and registration into the system so that we can start paying. The ongoing rumours of demolitions are baseless and we cannot buy same,” she stated.