The dawn demolitions in Kilifi county have caused quite a stir as multi-million properties were razed to the ground. The county claims that these properties were constructed on government land, and they had previously issued vacate notices to the occupants. The demolition process began at around 5 am, with the county using a grader to bring down the buildings swiftly.
Governor Gideon Mung’aro emphasized that the land where the properties stood belonged to the social services department and was initially designated for the construction of the county headquarters. Despite issuing multiple notices to vacate the premises, the occupants did not comply, leading to the drastic action taken by the county government. Mung’aro revealed that the original seven-acre social service land had been encroached upon, leaving only four acres intact.
The governor expressed his determination to reclaim the government land that had been unlawfully taken over by individuals, some of whom were former state officials. He made it clear that the county would not tolerate any illegal occupation of government land and that all structures built on such land would be demolished. Plans for the construction of the county headquarters, estimated to cost Sh500 million, are already in motion, with works scheduled to commence in the coming week.