Kenya Railways will not evict 200 tenants - Mvita MP Abdulswama Nassir

Mvita MP Abdulswamad Nassir [centre] greets Shimanzi residents when he toured their houses in Mombasa on July 19, 2021.[Omondi Onyango, Standard]

Plans to evict 200 tenants from Shimanzi Railway quarters in Mombasa have been shelved.

Mvita MP Abdulswama Nassir said the development ends many months of anxiety among tenants following reports that they were to be evicted from the premises they have occupied for almost half a decade.

"I got personal confirmation from the management of the Kenya Railways Corporation in a letter signed by the Managing Director Philip Mainga and will be making it available to your MCA and area chief Farouk Wesonga," the MP said.

"We have confirmed that there shall be no evictions. Already, I am engaging the KRC to work on the possible renewal of tenant occupancy leases that will allow our people to continue living here,” he added.

He said after new leases are announced, he will lead a fundraiser to help raise funds to help offset outstanding rents.

"I will strive to ensure my people live in peace and harmony during these harsh economic times occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic," Nassir said.

KRC has vast tracts of land and property in Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru, Kisumu, Eldoret, and other urban centres. The company has indicated plans to repossess the vast land it owns.

Shimanzi is one of the oldest housing estates owned by KRC and used to be occupied by the company’s junior workers.

The houses consist of single rooms, some without electricity, and comprise communal bathrooms and toilets. 

Residents, led by Ganjoni-Shimanzi MCA Sheilah Mumba, had petitioned the leaders after being ordered not to pay their Sh2,500 monthly rent to KRC for the single rooms they occupy, pending eviction.

Nassir said after being notified by the area MCA he reached out to KRC managing director.

"Despite getting an assurance that there will be no eviction here, I teamed up with Senator Faki and will be writing to the KRC management to seek more information on how the tenants can live without fear of being kicked out," Nassir said.

He said that the estate, which had been in a state of neglect, received some infrastructural upgrades.

"Going forward, we intend to do more to ease any form of suffering to Shimanzi residents," Nassir said.