A report by The Standard indicated that the businesses were brought down along a 30-meter stretch in Eldoret Town.
The corporation said that the businesses, most of which had been constructed as permanent structures and valued at millions of shillings, encroached on land it owns.
The operation led by Rift Valley Regional Coordinator George Natembeya revealed that the businesses had encroached the property.
He further refuted claims that KRC had leased the land to businesses noting that a vacate notice was issued in 2019.
“Some people thought Kenya Railways had collapsed and went ahead to occupy the land and erected buildings. It is time for the government to recover its land,†stated the commissioner.
Some victims claimed that the notice issued was short arguing that they had leased the land for between 25 and 30 years.
One individual noted that he had got a loan of Ksh1 million for his then fledgling business but is now left stranded on what to do next.
“I had recently injected about Ksh1 million, which was a bank loan, into my business. I have moved my goods to a godown and I do not know where I will relocate to.
“Kenya Railways should have given us an alternative location because we pay to run our businesses on their land,†stated the trader.
The demolitions came barely a day after Kenya Railways tore down over 100 businesses in Kitale town to pave way for the refurbishment of a railway line.
The demolitions kicked off on Friday, January 29 and lasted for a period of three days.
Families were left stranded after the businesses, which were there sources of livelihoods, were flattened by the corporation’s bulldozers.
Source: KENYAGIST.COM
