Residents of Loresho and Kitisuru took to the streets on Tuesday evening in protest after 3 acres of land belonging to the Loresho Police Post were allegedly grabbed by an unidentified individual.
The land grabber is accused of displacing several police families, leaving them stranded as their homes were demolished.
The protest saw local Gen Z youth tear down a perimeter wall that had been constructed, effectively cutting the police post into two and leaving the families and their belongings exposed.
The demonstrators, alongside local leaders, stormed the police post to demand the immediate removal of the land grabber.
The situation has intensified as the identity of the individual behind the grab remains unknown, further fuelling community outrage.
Westlands MP Hon. Tim Wanyonyi joined his constituents in condemning the land-grabbing incident and vowed to protect public land from being seized unlawfully.
He called on the grabber to reveal himself and present any legitimate documents proving ownership, urging him to follow the law and engage the public openly.
“This is public land, and whoever is laying claim to this property should come openly and face the community. Let him show us his bona fide documents.
He should put up a board outside so that we know what he is constructing—tthat is the law, and everyone should read it.
If that is not the case, we will know he is a fraud, and we will not allow him here. In Westlands, we are going to protect any space that belongs to the public,” said Hon. Wanyonyi.
The MP also criticised the involvement of some police officers, stating that they should protect public property rather than shield criminals.
“My warning to the police is this: if you are being used to protect criminals, your work is to protect public property and the community, not to protect criminals. Whoever wants to come here with the protection of the police, we will stand with our rights and protect this place. The constitution calls for public participation for anything to take place, and we ask our youth to continue protecting this land from grabbers,” he added.
Local residents, led by Jeff Luseno from Loresho, voiced their frustration with the blatant disregard for the community’s rights.
Luseno praised MP Wanyonyi for standing in solidarity with them.
“We thank our MP for standing with the community. This land belongs to the Kangemi and Loresho communities. We’ve seen people coming here, pretending to be police, treating their colleagues like stray dogs, and throwing them and their families out of their homes in the middle of the night. We are delighted with the Gen Z youth who have actively defended this public land,” said Luseno.
He also challenged the land grabber to come forward and explain how they acquired the public land and changed its use without public consultation, emphasizing the community’s intention to use the land for building public amenities.
Ndungu Njiru, a Kitisuru resident, echoed Luseno’s sentiments and called for stronger measures to prevent further land grabbing in the Westlands.
“We thank Hon. Tim Wanyonyi for partnering with us. No other land will be grabbed in the Westlands. We want to use this land to construct public amenities, including a clinic, a school, and an NG-CDF office. Imagine, we don’t even have a proper chief’s office. This land should remain in the hands of the public.”
The illegal land seizure has displaced several police families who resided on the land, leaving them in a state of uncertainty. Household items could be seen scattered across the land, with families struggling to figure out their next steps.
The grabber is alleged to have used hired goons to evict the police families, adding to the outrage.
The issue of land grabbing has been a long-standing problem in Nairobi, with many public lands being illegally taken over for private development.
