Opposition leaders Kalonzo Musyoka and Martha Karua have accused the government of illegally grabbing land belonging to retired Kenya Railways employees. The contested property, located on Valley Road in Nairobi, was reportedly vested in a retirement scheme for the former railway staff but is now under the control of a private developer with police protection.
Speaking at a press briefing, Kalonzo, the Wiper Party leader, criticized the alleged land grab, claiming that a high-ranking government official is behind the takeover. According to him, General Service Unit (GSU) officers were deployed to forcibly evict the retirees, allowing the demolition of their homes.
“Kenya Railways, under a Cabinet memo, vested this property in their retirement scheme. It has come to their shocking attention that a person high up in government with a history of grabbing public land is at it again. The poor pensioners have been chased out, and their property is now under police protection as a private developer demolishes their homes,” Kalonzo stated.
Martha Karua, leader of the People’s Liberation Party (PLP), echoed Kalonzo’s concerns, emphasizing that the land still belongs to the retirees despite a change in the title deed.
“The beneficial owners are the retirees. This land is not available to the government or any land grabber because it has rightful owners. The property was legally sold, and the retirees were paid Ksh.320 million out of Ksh.400 million, with only Ksh.80 million pending. The transaction was legitimate, and I believe the buyer was a Kenyan,” Karua explained.
The Association of Kenya Railways Retirees has staged peaceful protests demanding the return of their land. They argue that the land was lawfully allocated to them as part of their pension benefits, which were never fully paid.
“We have all the legal documents, including the legal notice and the Trustee Perpetual Succession Act, which is irrevocable. Once properties are transferred to trustees, they cannot be revoked,” a representative of the retirees asserted.
The affected retirees are now calling on President William Ruto to intervene and restore their land, questioning how much land a single individual can amass at the expense of pensioners who depend on it for their livelihoods.
