Demolished houses on a four and a half acre piece of land in Malindi town, Kilifi County belonging to the family of Francis Ngonyo and Jacob Hinzano who claimed that more than 100 goons invaded the property dead at night and warned them against reconstruction. Photo by Ben Okweingoti.. 
By Ben Okweingoti.
A family in Malindi town, Kilifi County, is living in fear after more than 100 suspected goons raided their homestead at night and demolished their houses, allegedly in a dispute over a four-and-a-half-acre piece of land.
The attackers, who reportedly arrived in two vehicles, descended on the property under the cover of darkness and tore down two houses and a kitchen, leaving the family stranded in the cold.
Led by 42-year-old Jacob Hinzano, the family is now calling for justice and intervention from political leaders, claiming the raid was orchestrated as part of an attempt by a local tycoon to forcibly grab their land.
Hinzano said the family has lived on the parcel for decades, noting that he moved there when he was nine years old and that all his siblings were born and raised on the same land. He questioned how their homes could be demolished without any court order.
“I have lived on this land since I was nine years old, and my brothers and sisters were born and raised here. It is shocking that goons could invade our property in the middle of the night and demolish our houses, leaving us and our children exposed to the cold,” he said.
Another witness, Francis Ngonyo, who was present during the raid, said the group arrived masked and armed with crude weapons and demolition tools.
“They told us they were not there to harm us but to demolish the houses as instructed by their supervisors, who remained inside the two vehicles,” Ngonyo said.
He added that the attackers warned the family not to rebuild the demolished structures, threatening to return if any reconstruction was attempted.
Ngonyo appealed for intervention from President William Ruto, saying the head of state had previously assured Kenyans that no one would be illegally evicted from their land.
“We are now living in fear and uncertainty. They warned us that if we rebuild the houses, they will come back,” he said.
The family is now urging authorities and local leaders to investigate the incident and protect them from what they describe as an unlawful attempt to dispossess them of their land.
