Murang’a residents lay claim on del Monte land

Jun 29, 2023 - 08:04

Extreme left) Kandara Residents Association Chairperson Kavira wa Kimara, (left) Secretary General Geoffrey Kairu and other members of the association during the land dispute petition at Continental House, Nairobi on Tuesday June 27, 2023

Nairobi, Wednesday, June 28, 2023

KNA by Phinta Amondi / Peace Muthoka

Members of Kandara Residents Association (KRA) from Kandara Sub-county in Murang’a county on Tuesday met the New National Assembly Committee on Lands over a land dispute with Del Monte Kenya Limited.

KRA claims that the dispute is a historical injustice case dating back to around 1920, when the Company then known as Kenya Canners which is the present day Del Monte Kenya Limited evicted the original owners of the disputed land parcels during the forceful acquisition of land by the colonial government during the colonial period.

Speaking during the petition the KRA Secretary General (SG) Geoffray Kairu said that, upon the review petition by the late Philip Njuguna, the National Land Commission made a determination on 7th February 2019 Gazette notice No.1995 of 1st March 2019 allowing the claim in favor of KRA.

Kairu clarified that under a resurvey undertaken by the Director of Survey with the purview of the previous Parliamentary Land Committee in conjunction with the county governments of Murang’a and Kiambu, it was established that there was a variance within the leased land and the land that the Del Monte company occupies.

“The residue of the resettlements should be given or issued to the claimants and respective county governments for public purposes,” Kairu said.

Kairu said that under the gazette notice No.1995 of 1st March 2019, if there is no residue, then on expiry of the lease a stable amount of land should be set aside and held in trust by the county governments of Kiambu and Murang’a for purposes of resettlements and public utilities.

“Respondents of Del Monte Limited should surrender all public utility land to the relevant National and county governments agencies whether the leases have expired or not,” the SG remarked.

He pointed out that there was an intentional and unexplained delay to the implementation of the recommendations by the National Land Commission which resulted in a petition to parliament that was drafted and reported to the former Speaker Hon. Justin Muturi on behalf of KRA on 11th June 2019.

On the other hand, the current National Assembly Committee on Lands Chairperson Joash Nyamache disclosed that they will bring together Members of Parliament and county governments on Thursday June 29th so as to establish the way forward on the land dispute between KRA and Del Monte Company.

Courtesy ; K. N. A