Man, Two Children Living In Bush For 6 Months Over Lack Of Sh1,500 Rent

A father and his two children have for the past 6 months been forced to live in a bush due to lack of rent.

Simon Musyoka was living in a single room with his family in Mukuru slums when things took a turn for the worst.

Musyoka could no longer meet his family’s needs as the Coronavirus hit hard.

His wife left him but returned following family and friends intervention.

After lacking the Sh1,500 rent, Musyoka moved with his children to Chang’ombe area.

“Maisha kwangu imekuwa ngumu, na kukuwa ngumu nikamuomba Mungu pia nikaweza kutafuta jinsi naweza kinga familia yangu,” Mr Musyoka told NTV.

“Mimi nilikuwa najikaza lazima ile duty inakugonja kama nikupika, kuosha watoto hio ni duty yangu hata kutafuta chakula na lazima nijikaze kama mwanaume.”

The biggest challenge, he said, lack of basic needs like food and mosquito bites.

Here are comments from netizens:

These are our brothers and sisters who were supposed to have benefited from the COVID19 fund safety net provision. So they may not be shaking their fist at the government as they relocate, but we all know what a disservice that same government meted out to them. What a shame!

— oliver wabwire (@oliverwabwire) August 18, 2020

And here we have Kylie Njenga and #Covid19Millionares showing us their privilege with their whole chests!🚮 Kenyans, when shall we say enough is enough?!

— Legion #IStandWithPalestine🇵🇸 (@LegionnaireNo1) August 17, 2020

They sleep in the bush while our able leaders want to pay the retired inactive old mpigs pensions of100k which can employ 5 youths and earn 20k each..Stupid leaders

— Denosa Ricko (@denosaricko8) August 17, 2020

Last week, a landlord sealed a tenant’s door over Sh10,000 arrears.

“I peeped through the window and beseeched the landlord to allow me to leave, but he said that would teach me and my mother a lesson to respect other people’s property,” said Amon Onzare who was locked in the house.

His mother, Sibia Ogembo, had gone to hawk vegetables on the fateful day.

“The landlord said all he wanted was to have the rent cleared. I pleaded with him to allow my son to leave the house, but he refused to listen. He said the house was his property and that I did not help him to construct it,” Ogembo told the Standard.

When the pandemic first hit Kenya, president Uhuru Kenyatta pleaded with landlords to be lenient with their tenants as some businesses ceased operations while others temporarily slowed down operations.

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