Ruto’s Affordable Housing Project Leaves Over 200 Families Displaced
Over 200 households in Changamwe, Mombasa County, have been relocated to make room for the construction of affordable homes.
The area in question is the Changamwe National Housing Estate, where demolitions began early Sunday morning, July 12.
Earlier reports say that the drill was halted by a court order, with citizens protesting that the government violated it.
“If National Housing is above the law, we should be told,” stated one of the residents.
“If the Police are above the law, we should also be told because it is not possible for a court order to be disregarded.”
Demolitions in Changamwe:
Over 200 families evicted in Changamwe, Mombasa
Evictions to pave way for affordable housing project#CitizenWeekend pic.twitter.com/5HNanrkrUq— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) July 12, 2026
Up to 171 households in National Housing – Changamwe are being forcibly evicted as we speak despite a court order against this. People have built decades on this property, families and generations. @lawsocietykenya pic.twitter.com/ncBbOEsmjr— Vanessa (@miss_mugo_) July 12, 2026
Residents admitted getting a one-month eviction notice from the national government, which was coordinated with the county government.
However, they argue that the court order should have halted the exercise, and that the evictions should not proceed until the dispute is resolved.
Affected residents recounted a heavy police presence as the demolitions began, alleging that officers roughed them up and lobbed tear gas to hasten the eviction process.
Before the evictions, the area leaders said that the government had sent some of the residents Ksh4,000 to vacate the area, which they decry as not enough.
In a further twist of events, the community leaders further warned the leadership of Mombasa County, which includes Governor Abdulswamad Shariff Nassir.
Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir made an unannounced visit to the Changamwe Housing Programme after learning that residents’ homes were being demolished to pave the way for new housing units. Accompanied by Mombasa Senator Mohamed Faki and the area MP, Nassir called on the… pic.twitter.com/u7ZOMwXloG— The Eastleigh Voice (@Eastleighvoice) July 12, 2026
They stated that they might transfer their political allegiance to other political parties since the broad-based government seems to listen to their demands.
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“We want to send a message to the Governor that if he is not listening to our demands, we will mobilise youth across the county and initiate a shift of power because it seems the broad-based government is not listening to our demands,” stated one of the resident leaders.
This comes against the backdrop of Housing Principal Secretary Charles Hinga having disclosed that he is due to be sentenced in a contempt of court case challenging the legality of the Affordable Housing program.
The PS on July 8 revealed that the housing project is defending more than 85 lawsuits.
He claimed that most claims stem from unresolved land disputes, the lack of title deeds, the lack of public participation, and claims over culturally sacred or community land.
This comes as an audit by Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu revealed in April that nearly 70 per cent of ongoing flagship projects lack formal title deeds.
However, only a fraction of assessed sites hold registered titles, exposing the properties to potential future legal ownership disputes.
Ruto’s Affordable Housing Project Leaves Over 200 Families Displaced
