Residents of buildings earmarked for demolition in Huruma stayed put despite a 48-hour warning that the houses they were occupying would be brought down.<br /><br />Some were literally caught pants down after a last minute attempt to derail the demolishing exercise failed. Tenants were however given time to remove their belongings.<br /><br />“We thought it was a joke,” a resident was overheard saying.<br /><br />Others started screaming in a desperate attempt to stop the excavators from demolishing their houses.<br /><br />“Mwizi! mwizi! (thief! thief!),” a teary woman was heard screaming.<br /><br />National Disaster Management Unit officers were overseeing the long demolition.<br /><br />A notice in one of the buildings read: “Pursuant to the Physical Planning Act Cap 286 and the Nairobi City County by-laws, the developer/owner/occupier is hereby notified to vacate these premises having been evaluated and found dangerous and unsafe for human habitation within 48 hours from date of this notice.”<br /><br />Such notices have been posted on the entrances of four other buildings set to be demolished in the area.<br /><br />“Don’t people value life?” an officer wondered loudly.<br /><br />The stringent measures come a few days a seven-storey building collapsed killing more than 40 people and left hundreds others injured.<br /><br />Hundreds of armed police officers were deployed in the densely populated area to ensure the demolition exercise was successful.
