Court Orders 300 Kenyans to Vacate Billionaire Kirima’s Land
Teresia Wairimu and Anne Kirima, the widows of the late billionaire Gershon Kirima, have won a nearly decade-old dispute over the proprietorship of multibillion-dollar land in Njiru, Nairobi County.
Judge Samson Odhiambo Okong’o of the Kisumu Environment and Lands Court issued a ruling on Monday ordering 300 applicants to vacate the land formerly occupied by Njiru Abattoir by December 31, 2023.
In a lawsuit filed in September 2014, John Otieno Obade and 299 others asserted that they were the legitimate owners of the estimated 80-acre parcel by adverse possession.
Adverse possession is the act of acquiring land by using it without permission for an extended period of time, which often results in legal ownership rights.
However, Okong’o concluded that the group could not stake claim to the land.
“The plaintiffs in this suit have no valid claim over L.R No. 6825/2 (the Njiru area land),” read the ruling in part.
“To save them from forceful eviction from the property, I hereby give those of them who are in actual occupation of L.R No. 6825/2 up to and including 31st December 2023 to vacate and handover possession of the property to the estate of G.K.Kirima in default of which the estate shall be at liberty to evict them from the property.”
In its lawsuit, the two widows were named as respondents.
In addition, the complainants had asked the court for permission to subdivide the property.
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They argued in their submissions that they had resided on the parcel for more than 14 years and had “uninterrupted, exclusive, and continuous occupation” as well as made substantial improvements to the property.
The plaintiffs argued that they only learned of the land’s lawful owner on September 17, 2014, when they were served a copy of the deed. Therefore, they argued that they could not be evicted without alternative housing and settlement.
According to previous reports, the Kirima family amassed the majority of their fortune on the expansive 500-acre plot of land.
During its heyday, the abattoir slaughtered hundreds of cattle per day, but protracted judicial battles and family feuds nearly caused the business to fail.
“Due to family wrangles, business at the facility has deteriorated. For instance, the abattoir used to slaughter 300 cattle per day. However, the number had reduced to three cattle per day,” a 2014 report on the status of abattoirs stated.
“The abattoir is located on family land on which construction by private developers is being undertaken although the family has moved to court to seek an injunction stopping the ongoing developments.”
Two other litigants, Kamatuto Self Help Group and Naridai Muoroto Self Help Group, also lost their court cases claiming that the parcel was public land.
Additionally, Judge Okong’o ordered the two self-help groups to vacate the land by the end of the year.
Court Orders 300 Kenyans to Vacate Billionaire Kirima’s Land
