Gachagi village where the squatters live in Maragua, Murang'a.Kakuzi PLC has moved to the Environment and Land Court in Murang’a seeking orders to bar a group of squatters from occupying part of its land.
In an application filed on July 28, the company is asking the court to direct the squatters, their agents or representatives, to vacate parcel LR 11674—one of two pieces of land at the centre of an ongoing case—pending the determination of the matter.
The application, filed through Kaplan & Stratton Advocates, lists 24 individuals, surveyor Clement Kariuki and the Inspector General of Police as defendants.
The company also wants officers from Makuyu Police Station to be compelled to evict the group and remove any structures erected on the land.
Kakuzi, through advocate Esther Opiyo, told Justice Maxwell Gacheru that on July 24, Maragua MP Mary Waithera led a protest to its head office, demanding that the company allocate land to 25 families.
On the same day, the company alleges, Kariuki—accompanied by some of the defendants—entered the property without permission to carry out a survey, cleared bushes and burnt grass.
The company further claims that on July 25 and 27, the group put up 11 structures and moved household items onto the land.
The alleged occupation has restricted the company’s access to its property and reports of trespass and damage had been lodged at Makuyu Police Station.
However, the company claims police have been unable to stop the occupation.
“The invasion of the property is ongoing. Unless the defendants are restrained, there is an imminent threat of irreparable harm through deprivation of the use of the property,” Opiyo argued.
She further said failure to grant injunctive orders would undermine the constitutional guarantee of property rights.
The dispute between Kakuzi and the 25 households dates back more than a decade.
The squatters cite a memorandum of understanding signed in 2010, in which the company acknowledged that 35 families had been living on its property for years and pledged to subdivide 10 acres into half-acre plots for each family.
A revised MoU in 2017 indicated that only 10 families had benefited from the initial arrangement.
Kakuzi insists the current occupation is unrelated to the parcels covered by the MoU, warning that this could disrupt operations, cause losses and affect jobs.
The court was expected to hear the application yesterday.
The residents, led by their association chairperson, Michael Mburi, accuse Kakuzi of delaying their resettlement, stating that they have been shown parcels earmarked for relocation but have yet to be relocated.
During the July 24 protest, the group vowed to hold regular demonstrations until the company meets its pledge.
Mburi said families have lived in cramped conditions for decades, sharing basic facilities and lacking space for farming.
He claims that while some former employees were resettled in other villages with larger parcels, the 35 families at Gachagi were left waiting for alternative land. This promise has yet to be fulfilled.
Instant analysis
In an application filed at the Environment and Land Court in Murang’a, the company has asked the court to order the squatters, their agents or representatives to forthwith vacate parcel LR 11674, one of the two parcels subject to the court case, pending the hearing of the application. The court heard that on July 25 and 27, the defendants constructed 11 housing structures with the intention of settling in a portion of the suit property and proceeded to move their household items to the structures. According to the resident’s association chairperson Michael Mburi, the families that have been living in a cramped up space are forced to share latrines and bathrooms, and have no space to even plant vegetables to feed themselves.
Maragua MP Mary Waithera leading Gachagi and Makuyu residents in a protest outside Kakuzi company offices on July 24, 2025.
