Protests erupt in Watamu after dawn demolitions displace over 38 families

Heavy machinery flattened multi-million-shilling homes in Jacaranda, Watamu, at around 4:00 AM on Monday, leaving dozens of families homeless and triggering violent protests in Kilifi County.

Violent protests broke out in the Jacaranda area of Watamu, Kilifi County, on Monday morning after an early-morning eviction raid destroyed multi-million-shilling residential properties and left more than 38 families displaced.

Heavy earth-moving machinery, escorted by armed security personnel and hired guards, moved into the area at approximately 4:00 AM and levelled permanent residential structures and storey buildings. Residents said the graders arrived without prior warning during heavy rainfall, preventing families from salvaging personal belongings or household valuables.

The demolitions were allegedly carried out on the orders of a local land developer who claims legal ownership of the disputed prime parcel in Jacaranda sub-location. Long-term residents described the operation as the third attempt to clear the contested land under police protection.

Affected households reported the complete loss of life savings invested in the permanent structures. They have called for urgent government intervention and compensation.

Civil society organisations HAKI Africa and the Institute for Land Governance and Human Rights (INLAGHR) condemned the eviction. The groups demanded formal investigations into police involvement and the use of force during the clashes that followed. They specifically criticised the decision to demolish homes during adverse weather conditions.

Civil society organizations, including HAKI Africa and the Institute for Land Governance and Human Rights (INLAGHR), issued formal statements condemning the execution of the eviction:

“Executing forced evictions at 4:00 AM during adverse weather conditions violates national eviction guidelines and basic constitutional safeguards. We demand an immediate, transparent investigation into police coordination and the deployment of armed personnel during this operation.”
— HAKI Africa Official Statement

Local leaders are under pressure from civil society to protect long-term residents from contested land acquisitions in Kilifi County.

Land ownership disputes remain a long-standing problem along Kenya’s coastal strip. Kilifi County authorities regularly handle complex cases involving historical landlessness, overlapping title deeds and conflicts between local occupants and property investors. The Jacaranda incident highlights the continuing tension between formal legal title holders and communities living on high-value coastal land.

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