Nairobi MCAs censure housing chief Lydia Mathia over evictions

The Nairobi County Assembly has passed a censure motion against Housing and Urban Renewal Chief Officer Lydia Mathia, accusing her of gross misconduct, abuse of office, violation of human rights, and disobedience of court orders in relation to recent evictions in city estates.

The motion, tabled by Ngara MCA Chege Mwaura, received overwhelming support from MCAs during the sitting.

It followed a wave of public anger over evictions in areas including Old Ngara, New Ngara, Kariokor, Buruburu, Kariobangi, and Woodley that were carried out despite an active conservatory court order halting the process.

“There is an existence of a conservatory order issued by the Environment and Land Court, petition number ELC E038/2025. Miss Mathia nonetheless proceeded to deploy unknown, unauthorised people - goons - to enforce that eviction. They used force, vandalised private and public property,” Mwaura told the House.

The MCAs resolved that Mathia should not only be censured but also declared unfit to hold any public office within Nairobi or elsewhere in government.

They directed the Nairobi County Public Service Board to immediately commence disciplinary proceedings against her and stop all further official dealings with her in her current or any future public capacity.

Residents affected by the evictions had complained that the operations were conducted violently and without warning, with some accusing county officials of hiring goons to demolish homes, destroy belongings, and intimidate families.

One resident from Buruburu narrated how her house was broken into while she was away and her items stolen despite having paid rent.

During the heated debate, MCAs accused Mathia of acting with impunity by ignoring both legal orders and human dignity.

They cited Articles 10 and 73 of the Constitution on public service values, accusing her of breaching her duty.

While supporting the motion, Majority Leader Peter Imwatok said he had never seen any eviction notice being brought by the executive before this house.

“ The department led by the said Chief Officer has failed the county. We cannot keep quiet as an assembly, just to wait for our seniors at the Senate to speak on our behalf. There is a problem in this city with evictions, and the change starts today, and that is why Lydia Mathia must go,” he said.

Majority Whip Moses Ogeto added by noting that the assembly needed to exercise its constitutional duty.

“We don’t want the Governor to even reassign her, but to discharge her. We vetted her before this house, but she has shown us and Nairobi residents no remorse and failed to obey court orders. And that is why we say Lydia must go,” he noted.

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However, not all MCAs supported the motion.

Kileleshwa MCA Robert Alai strongly opposed the censure, saying the motion lacked credible evidence and targeted a junior officer unfairly.

“It is very unfair to treat a junior staff member the way the assembly wants to sacrifice Mathia. This motion is full of vendetta, and I believe that the evidence presented is hot air. How can we be sure the audio presented on the floor of the house is authentic and belongs to the said chief officer, if an expert has not certified it?” Alai posed.

Speaker Kennedy Ng’ondi dismissed Alai’s claims and defended the validity of the motion. “I had earlier said that the motion had reached the proper threshold for it to be brought and be debated, so you cannot purport to say the evidence is hot air,” he said.

South B MCA Waithera Chege also rejected the motion, arguing that the Governor holds the legal power to appoint or dismiss chief officers.

“I oppose this motion. We have the County Government Act, which speaks about the appointing powers, and the appointing power in this case is the Governo,r who appoints the chief officers. This assembly is trading its gun to the wrong person. The motion is being sponsored by the Governor, and I dare the assembly to bring an impeachment motion against him,” Waithera stated.

The Assembly further resolved that all affected tenants be allowed to return to their homes, and called for investigations into the destruction and loss of property during the evictions, which they linked to mafia-style directives.

The county government has yet to confirm whether compensation will be offered to the affected residents.

Early last month, the Sakaja administration issued notices to tenants in the affected estates demanding payment of rent arrears.

Tenants complained the notices lacked clear breakdowns and went against a March 2021 Gazette Notice that permanently waived rent arrears accrued up to 2019.

They were later directed to pay arrears from May 2019 onward.

Governor Johnson Sakaja, appearing before the Senate Roads, Transport and Housing Committee last month, defended the evictions, revealing that some tenants had stayed in county houses for over a decade without paying rent.

He cited one case in Woodley Estate where a tenant owed Sh1.8 million in unpaid rent.

“For everyone in our county houses who is not paying rent, you will be evicted. These houses don’t belong to me — they belong to the people of Nairobi,” Sakaja said.

Lydia Mathia has not yet responded to the censure motion. The responsibility now lies with the Nairobi County Public Service Board to take appropriate action following the Assembly’s decision.