CDA evicts 130 tenants over rent payment

Dodoma. The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has thrown out 129 of its tenants from houses located at Maghorofa Mengi Street, Kikuyu suburb, on grounds that they have defaulted their rent payment.

Several other tenants were evicted yesterday because they had no rental contracts with CDA.

The eviction, which was supervised by Mvina Auction Mart, started at around 9.30am in the presence of heavily armed police officers.

Mvina Auction Mart director Ibrahim Kivike told reporters at the area that the 129 tenants had been given a 90-day notice to shift from the houses.

“But on humanitarian basis we came after the expiry of the notice and gave them grace period of one week to leave or settle their issues with CDA,” he said.

However, he noted that most of the tenants had not heeded to their calls and that was why they had to be forcefully evicted.

According to Mr Kivike, earlier attempts to evict the tenants were met with obstacles because the tenants had blocked the road leading to the buildings along Iringa Road but police removed the logs.

Some tenants, those whose houses were yet to be reached, were seen removing their belongings after noting that this time the evictors were determined to implement the order.

CDA lawyer Said Kamsumbile said the buildings had a total of 174 apartments.

“Those who are being removed are those who have not paid their rent for a very long time. But there are others who have not entered into contract with CDA, we wonder how they got to live in our houses,” he said noting that in total the tenants owe CDA over Sh400 million.

Mr Kamsumbile noted that after evicting the defiant tenants they were going to rehabilitate the apartments. “Those who have been paying their rent will be removed and given alternative accommodation that we will find for them during rehabilitation,” he noted.

A victim of the exercise, Ms Alice Mbigiri, wondered why CDA has taken such measures to some of them who have been living in the apartments for over 20 years.

“They brought thugs from Kikuyu to remove out belongings. It was inhumane because they were kicking doors and throwing our things out,” she said.