Residents in Nyali Sub County have decried lack of legal experts in their bid to address land and housing concerns in the area.

The locals argue that this has frustrated their efforts in championing the right to decent housing even before the authorities.

According to the residents, those advocating for decent housing have been branded as “grabbers” contradicting the entire process.

“We do not have legal experts who can address our land and housing matters even before the corridors of justice. This has in turn cultivated mistrust between us and the authorities,” noted a concerned resident who spoke on condition of anonymity during a housing forum on Wednesday.

The resident further lamented over the poor drainage system in most parts of the sub-county.

“Some of the areas with a poorly constructed drainage system include Mnazi Mmoja, Kadzandani Matopeni, Ziwa la ngombe Kisumu Ndogo. These are some of the common issues facing almost all the wards,” Lamented the resident.

The local also wants the national government to sensitize Kenyans on conducting a land search.

At the same time William Amam, a resident hailing from Mkomani raised concerns following the digitization of land in Mombasa County.

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Amam says “verification of land should target the real owners insisting that some acquired the plots illegally,”

He also wants the lands ministry to work closely with the National Land Commission in a bid to address the land question in the region.

Meanwhile, Mkalla Shanga who is living with a disability, claimed the community has neglected people with disabilities.

He attributes the surge of people with disability in the streets to the lack of land ownership in families.

“Most of the families do not allocate plots for PWD’s. Due to these and among other frustrations of their rights leads them to flock in the streets,” said Mkalla who is visually impaired.

Shanga wants the government to implement the land and housing policy saying it will address some of the teething challenges facing PWD’s.

The forum dubbed Housing for Who, organised by Haki Yetu Organisation, a rights lobby based in Mombasa brought together residents in Nyali Sub County on Wednesday.