Kenya Railways has issued a statement addressing claims circulating on social media over an ongoing property dispute involving an elderly woman.
In a statement on Sunday, May 10, Kenya Railways maintained that the contested property is public land under its ownership and said the dispute forms part of a wider effort to protect railway assets from illegal occupation.
The corporation said the land is lawfully registered under its ownership and accused the occupants of unlawfully putting up structures on the property.
It added that the title document being relied upon by those occupying the land is not recognised by the corporation.
"The land in question is legally owned by Kenya Railways. The occupants illegally constructed structures on the property and are relying on a purported title deed that is not recognised by the Corporation. This is a clear case of attempted land grabbing targeting public land belonging to Kenya Railways," the statement read.
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Kenya Railways further said it has been engaging the affected parties for months and had formally asked them to vacate the premises.
According to the corporation, public notices have also been issued repeatedly warning against encroachment on railway reserve land.
"Kenya Railways has engaged the concerned parties since September last year, requesting them to vacate the property. In addition, the Corporation has consistently issued public notices warning against illegal occupation of railway land and encroachment on railway reserve land," the statement added.
The corporation also disputed claims that the elderly woman at the centre of the public discussion currently lives at the property.
It said the premises had been leased to a school and alleged that the woman was being used to present a misleading account of the dispute.
"Contrary to claims being circulated publicly, the lady being fronted in the matter does not currently reside at the premises. The house had been rented out to a school. Kenya Railways believes she is being used to misrepresent the facts surrounding the matter and frustrate the Corporation's efforts to reclaim its property," the statement noted.
Kenya Railways said the matter is part of a larger nationwide exercise aimed at recovering illegally occupied railway land.
"Kenya Railways is currently undertaking a broader exercise to reclaim all illegally occupied railway land across the country in order to safeguard public assets and ensure the land is utilized for its intended public purpose," the statement concluded.
In a viral video, the elderly woman, Florence Kinoti, accused Kenya Railways of unlawfully evicting her from property she says she has occupied for decades.
Her lawyer said he was called to the scene while Kinoti was in distress, describing the operation as abrupt and deeply unsettling for an elderly citizen.
According to the lawyer, police officers acted under directions linked to the Managing Director of the corporation, and her belongings were removed from the premises without prior notice.
"They have a valid lease that has not been declared illegal by any court or even by the ones who gave the lease. They have also been paying their rates and their rent to dates," she said.
The lawyer argued that the eviction had left unanswered questions about where the 80-year-old woman would spend the night and where she could seek immediate redress.
She said Kinoti had lived on the property as a law-abiding citizen and had built her life there together with her family.
Kinoti also gave her account of the events, saying police personnel arrived at her home early in the morning and began removing her belongings.
"They told me they are coming to take me. So they went inside and then started packing my things and putting them out outside," she stated.
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