This archive report was first published on 26 November 2019.
On November 26, 2019, a court in Nyahururu town brought an end to a 20-year land ownership dispute between approximately 400 residents and a local businessman, Gitonga Githinji.
Resident Magistrate Judith Wanjala ruled that a five-acre prime parcel of land at Equator Estate belonged to Githinji, sparking a protest from the residents.
The residents, who had been occupying the land for two decades, argued that they had all the necessary documents to support their case. They claimed to have invested millions of shillings in building houses on the land and were not willing to demolish them.
Spokesman Edward Njuguna expressed the residents' concerns, stating, 'This is the only place that our children call home. It would be unfair to demolish an entire estate just because of the interest of one person.'
Resident Jane Nyambura also expressed her concerns, saying, 'All they know is that these are their homes. What would we be subjecting them to by demolishing these houses? The government must come in and assist save the situation.'
The court's decision gave the residents three days to vacate the premises, after which the government would forcefully evict them.
