Locals eject earthmovers constructing road as row over Ruiru land escalates

The row over a prime land in Ruiru, Kiambu County, pitting some 3,000 families and an unknown private developer has intensified after the irate locals ejected earthmovers constructing roads in the area.

The land located in Gikumari area straddles the Eastern Bypass and Juja Farm and measures approximately 23,000 acres where locals say they have settled there for over 40 years after acquiring it from a colonial settler.

The locals who have been accusing high-ranking individuals of eyeing the prime property say they have been living in fear of forceful eviction from their properties.

Hell broke loose after a meeting held in the village last month after local authorities in the area led by Deputy County Commissioner (DCC) Margaret Mbugua allegedly described their title deeds as fake and that they would be evicted in due course.

The property owners claimed that they have been told those who have built on the land will be compensated, but people with undeveloped parcels should not put up anything.

The administrator however refuted the claims of eviction, saying that she was not aware of any plans to evict the occupiers and maintained that the government was only opening up roads in the area.

"There are no plans to evict anyone from their land. We are aware that there are cases of multiple allocations but the matter is being handled by the Lands Ministry at an individual level. In the meantime, the government has embarked on building roads which have been in a pathetic situation," said the DCC.

However, the infuriated locals who held protests in the village on Wednesday claimed that the private developer is forcefully cutting roads through their land parcels without any consultation.

The roads are being constructed under heavy security by a contingent of armed police officers. 

“There were no public participation meetings held over these roads. We are aware that this is their plan to evict us from our homes which we will not allow,” said a resident, Pauline Wangari.

Wangari who settled on her property in the village some 40 years ago said that she has all requisite and legitimate land ownership documents, adding that it has been her home and her children’s for the last four decades.

“We were issued the title deeds by the government back in the 1980s and we were taken aback to be informed by the administrator that they are fake. We are having sleepless nights and some of us, the elderly, are undergoing immense psychological trauma,” Wangari said.

Anastacia Nyambura, another resident, said that she found solace in the village after being evicted from her Nandi Hills home in Rift Valley during the 2007 post-election violence.

She bought a piece of land in the village and put up an abode for her family. She is now in anguish after being informed that she would be evicted again.

“I lost my husband in the post-election skirmishes and fled to Murang’a where I lived as an internally displaced person together with my children. I later toiled and moiled hard and managed to buy a piece of land. I did all due diligence before buying and got my title deed. I will not allow anyone to evict me from my property,” Wambui said.

The locals raised concerns over the silence on the matter by leaders in the region led by Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.

“We are suffering under their watch. Not unless our leaders know who is behind our woes, they should stand up and defend us and our properties,” said Nduga Gichuhi, a resident.

While calling on the government and human rights activists to intervene and help protect them from possible eviction, the residents wondered why a developer only realized has land in the area after over 40 years.