A Njoro agent welds tenant door, locking a single mother Rhoda Makoha over Sh 10,000 rent arrears

Rhoda Makoha peeping through a window. PHOTO | STAR

Single mother Rhoda Makoha was on Saturday evening bolted inside her two-roomed rental house with a sick a 2-year-old baby over rent arrears at Njoro, Nakuru.


The mother of four children was welded inside her rented house with her 2-year-old child while the rest were playing outside.

They were housed by neighbours because they were locked outside their house.


Notwithstanding her request to be granted more time to sell her household and the agent welded the door closed, leaving her without food or exit to answer to call of nature.


Njoro OCPD Mohammed Huka, deployed the area OCS and his officers to break into the house and rescue the woman and the baby.


The OCPD said she had tried to reach Egernex Commercial agency through Bernard Omumbo but they could not listen to anything.


Rhoda said she owed her landlord Sh10,000 for four months, including July.


"She is unable to raise her rent because her business outside Egerton University was adversely affected since March when the first Covid-19 case was reported in the country, "

“Business at Egerton trading centre is entirely dependent on students and everything went down when schools and universities were shut down,” she said through the window.

She said she has lived in the house for six years, from where she also operates a stall-business.


“I have been paying my rent promptly for six years and I was hoping that the agent could consider that before kicking me out,” she said.


Fred Kimani, a neighbour, said landlords and their agents should understand the current situation and be considerate to tenants who have been promptly paying rent.


Huka warned landlords and agencies against such actions, saying Omumbo will serve as an example to others like him. Njoro police are now looking for the agent.