By Wacuka Maina
In Uhuru Estate, on the outskirts of Eldoret, justice began with a knock on the door. “Just 100 shillings Itasaidia,wakitufukuza kwa hizi nyumba tutaenda wapi?” Mr. Kakai of house number 221 Urged his neighbours. moving from house to house. This was not a fundraiser for a wedding or hospital bill but it was to take their own county government to court.
In 2025, tenants of Uhuru Estate were hit with a sudden rent increase from KSh 1,260 to KSh 4,000. There had been no meaningful consultation but just a sharp jump that many could not afford. For families already struggling, the increase threatened eviction. With no institutional support, the community organized itself. Each household contributed KSh 100. It was a small but painful sacrifice, pooled together to hire a lawyer and challenge the move by Uasin Gishu County government in court.
Against the odds, the residents won. The court ruled that rent arrears be calculated using the original KSh 1,260. For a moment, there was relief proof that ordinary citizens could hold power accountable. But that victory quickly faded. Residents say the county failed to fully implement the court’s orders. Rent still remain inconsistent, and in some cases still reflect the higher rates. The fight shifted from winning justice to enforcing it.
Behind this struggle lies a deeper contradiction. According to the 2023/2024 budget, Uasin Gishu County allocated approximately KSh 223 million to legal-related expenses. This means that while citizens were contributing KSh 100 per household to access justice, the county was spending millions of public funds on legal battles to defend their decisions that led to disputes in the first place.
The imbalance is stark. On one side, a government with hundreds of millions set aside for lawyers. On the other hand, residents pooling coins just to be heard. This creates a cycle where citizens finance both sides of the same conflict through taxes that fund county legal fees and through personal contributions to challenge the county in court.
In Uhuru Estate, the cost of justice was not just financial it is exhausting and uncertain for the residents. Rose Asunda of house number 230 explains that “ htaujui kesho wataamka nag ani, kama watatutoa ama watatupatia time tulipe, skuile walikuja kutotoa na hasira” showcasing that the voice of the people was not heard. Until legal accountability includes not just spending, but compliance with court orders, justice in Uasin Gishu will remain incomplete funded by the people, but not fully delivered to them.
