This archive report was first published on 17 July 2020.
Del Monte land dispute need not have dragged on for years ¶
Land has long been a contentious issue in Kenya, with ownership seen as a key indicator of wealth among many communities.
However, the struggle for land has a long and complex history, dating back to the colonial era when settlers pushed out Africans through force, guile, or other means.
Those who fought for land during the independence struggle benefited the least, leaving a lingering sense of injustice among their descendants.
Today, a long-standing land dispute between Del Monte Kenya Ltd and the Murang'a County government has been ongoing for 10 years, but President Uhuru Kenyatta has intervened, ordering the Ministry of Lands to resolve the issue by the end of the month.
Del Monte, a multinational agribusiness, has held a 74-year lease on thousands of hectares of land in Murang'a County, but the county government and a group of self-described 'squatters' - the Kandara Residents Association - have been seeking a share of the land.
According to Lands Principal Secretary Nicholas Muraguri, the ministry intends to survey the land, demarcate it, arbitrate on the matter, and finally renew the lease.
However, the national government has the sole mandate to renew leases through the National Lands Commission, leaving it unclear where the county government or the Kandara outfit come in.
Despite court judgments ruling that the association cannot force Del Monte to cede part of its land, the county government and the Kandara association continue to demand a share of the land.
While the demand for land is understandable, especially given the thousands of landless locals who are squeezed into small villages around the big pineapple plantation, the issue is complex and requires a nuanced approach.
Del Monte employs 6,500 workers who support 28,000 dependants, and were the company to close down, Kenya would lose Sh10 billion in foreign exchange annually, and Thika would turn into a ghost town.
President Kenyatta's intervention has brought a sense of urgency to the issue, but it remains to be seen whether the Ministry of Lands can resolve the dispute by the end of the month.
