Tenants of Viraj Millennium Apartment in Kileleshwa, Nairobi are up in arms after their landlord forced them to make rent payments using cash only despite a government directive encouraging the use of cashless payment to reduce the contact with hard money.
The tenants had, through a WhatsApp group filed a petition signed many of them, called for a different mode of rent payment instead of paying in cash for fear handling huge amounts of hard currency could infect them with coronavirus disease.
But their landlord, after receiving their petition, responded with a memo slid under their doors listing the steps the management had taken to curb the spread of coronavirus.
Later, the landlord issued a second memo telling the tenants that he has set up a temporary office on April 2, for the sole purpose of collecting rent in cash on Saturday between 8 am and 1 pm.
“We are being threatened with eviction,” said one tenant who sought anonymity
“I thought the government was clear on this matter, why are they insisting on us paying using cash?”
Another angry tenant who also sought anonymity said: “They have already cut off water supply to some houses and even presented access to the water tanks on the roof. Is this really fair?” posed an angry tenant.
The tenants, through Apollo Mboya and Co. Advocates, are now demanding that an alternative mode of payment be provided forthwith, failure to which the public interest eagle action will be instituted.
Residents on Thursday night also sought the intervention of Kileleshwa Chief Inspector Mathenge Mithamo, who addressed the residents and provided a temporary solution to the ongoing stalemate.
