As Kenyans continue grappling with the aftereffects of coronavirus, a section of kind-hearted landlords have waived rents for their tenants but this is a different story for some residents in Witeithie, Juja.
Sadly, one landlord, the proprietor of Limpopo Plaza resorted to cruel methods to demand rent from his tenants by breaking the doors and carrying them with him.
He also disconnected water and electricity over delayed rent payment.
Francis Kamau, the owner of the flats is reported to have made a grand entry to his property with masonry tools; hammers and steel bars and went ahead to remove doors for seven tenants who had not paid for their March dues.
All the 17 units in the flat are single rooms each going for Sh3,000 per month.
Kamau’s action came in the wake of benevolence by some other landlords in the country who have waived rent for their tenants while others have reduced the amount.
James Karanja, a landlord in Kiambu slashed by half the monthly rent from his 20 tenants.
He said he shares with them the pain of a depressing economy.
Karanja’s apartment houses two-bedroomed and one-bedroomed units for Sh15,000 and Sh10,000 respectively. In a text message to his tenants, he asked them to pay half the rent – Sh7,500 for two-bedroom and Sh5,000 for the one-bedroom.
Justus Eleman, another landlord in Turkana warmed the hearts of locals and Kenyans by large after waiving April rent for all his tenants due to COVID-19 outbreak.
He chose to forego Ksh100,000 rental income saying that “everybody is worried about this pandemic that is ravaging countries, including the superpowers. Following the government directives, my tenants are staying at home for their safety, which makes it hard for them to earn.”
There have been calls from different quarters to landlords which President Uhuru Kenyatta backed asking landlords to be humane during this time when coronavirus pandemic is dealing everyone a blow.
