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| Landlord welds tenants over arrears |
A landlord in Nyahururu has sparked widespread condemnation on social media over his uncouth approach to demanding rent. The metallic was welded from the outside, locking the teen inside without a way to exit. In a move that has been widely criticized as dangerous and inhumane, he welded the door shut, effectively trapping the tenant’s 14-year-old inside the house without any means of escape. Tenant admitted to hospital The incident happened when the child’s mother was admitted to the hospital where she went to give birth.Speaking to philanthropist Onyie Wuod Adhiambo, the teenager disclosed that she was inside when she heard a door being welded. “I knew it was our door when I tried opening it to get out, but I couldn’t,” the little girl said. Stuck inside, the youngster called her mother, who told her to be patient and wait for her to return from the hospital. Neighbours feeding the locked teen The silver lining in the story is that neighbours who learnt about the development have been offering food to the child through the window. One of the neighbours anonymously disclosed that the teen’s mother requested she take care of the kid until she returned. “This girl is supposed to be back in school for Form One, but she has yet to report,” the angry neighbour said. Differences between tenants and landlords have always existed, but this case has attracted attention due to the severity of the landlord’s actions and the involvement of a minor. The community has expressed shock and dismay at the landlord’s disregard for the welfare of the child, who was left in a precarious situation without access to basic needs or the ability to leave. Many have deemed the act a violation of the tenant’s rights and a severe endangerment to the child’s safety. Thika landlord removes tenant’s roof over KSh 5k In an almost similar incident, neighbours from Makongeni estate, Thika, expressed disgust at a landlord who went overboard to demand unpaid rent. The owner descended on his tenant’s house and removed one part of the iron roof, exposing him to the pounding rains. Witnesses revealed that the affected tenant was a garbage collector who lost his job and struggled to make ends meet.
by Hillary Lisimba