This archive report was first published on 25 August 2019.
Del Monte Kenya Limited has expressed its support for the resurveying of parcels of land under pineapple farming, a move aimed at resolving a long-standing dispute with local residents.
According to the company's Managing Director, Stergiuos Gkaliamoutsas, Del Monte has utilised 9,143 hectares of land to grow pineapples for the local and export market, with an additional 1,579 hectares leased from individuals, including 730 hectares from Kakuzi Limited.
The company has written to the Director of Survey seeking to speed up the exercise to comply with recommendations of the National Lands Commission (NLC), which has suggested a joint venture with the Survey Department, county governments of Murang’a and Kiambu, to establish if there is variance between land leased and land the company occupies.
Speaking in reference to spirited campaigns by the Kandara Residents Association seeking resettlement of their members on the disputed 6,500 acres of land, Gkaliamoutsas stated that the company supports the resurveying of the nine parcels, which it has title deeds to claim ownership.
“The firm sits on parcels of land whose ownership it can prove. The company supports the resurveying of the nine parcels, which we have title deeds to claim ownership,” said the MD.
The directive from the NLC read: “Any residue should give/surrender to the claimants for resettlement and the county government for public purpose in the ratio of 70:30 respectively.”
