The Court of Appeal on Wednesday, January 17, ruled against any further evictions from the Njiru Land in contest between the family of the late Gerishon Kirima and Njiru residents.
In a ruling made on Wednesday, the Court of Appeal put a halt to the long-standing battle over eviction and harassment faced by the People of Njiru while emphasizing the need for negotiation talks between the two parties.
“We don’t want our orders to evict anybody. Lawyers, talk with your clients, sit together and resolve this matter. This is not a matter for the court and it’s a matter that you can resolve and when there’s consent people will be happy. You must negotiate and live together,” the court said.
The ruling comes as a relief to the residents and marks a significant victory for affected homeowners.
Njiru Residents Supported by Embakasi MP
MP Babu Owino in a statement welcomed the decision of the court, applauding the court for protecting and standing with the people of Kasarani and Embakasi East Constituencies.
“Today I am a happy man, and I assure the residents that we will win this case, we will defeat the Kirima family and we shall conquer,” Babu Owino said in a video shared on X.
Five days ago, hundreds of residents occupying the disputed Kirima land in Njiru were directed by the county government of Nairobi to cease further construction until the matter was resolved.
This was part of the resolutions following a meeting held on January 10 between the Nairobi County government and representatives of the occupants of the land.
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Residents Losing the Case in October 2023
Environment and Land Court Judge Samson Okong’o, in his judgment delivered on October 23, 2023, found that former Starehe MP Gerishon Kirima was the rightful owner of the property.
Justice Okong’o gave the residents up to December 31, 2023, to vacate and hand over possession of the property to the estate of Kirima.
“If they fail to do so, the estate is at liberty to evict them from the property,” Okong’o ruled.
The judgment was a culmination of a protracted court battle between the administrators and residents who acquired the property through self-help groups.
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Kirima Family Ready to Sell land to Occupants.
In early January, the family of Gerishon Kirima said that it was reluctant to evict families from its 1,000 acres in Njiru.
The family also said those unwilling to pay will not be coerced to purchase the plots they presently live on.
“Whereas the court granted us the liberty to evict the current occupants on our land, we are reluctant to resort to evictions—marked by cruel demolitions and heartless destruction of property—as witnessed elsewhere,” the family said in a statement earlier.
“The Kirima family is ready to sell the land to the current occupants on a willing-buyer, willing-seller arrangement. Such an action will enable the issuance of legitimate title deeds to those that have not yet bought their parcels or made a commitment to do so,” the family said.
Thousands of families live on 1,000-acre land belonging to the late billionaire Gerishon Kirima.
