Kajiado Governor Joseph ole Lenku has ordered the ejection of Tana and Athi Development Authority (Tarda) from 1,850 acres in Emali.
The governor declined to renew Tarda’s lease.
The Authority had been operating on the land for 30 years.
It did not pay anything to the former Olekejuado County Council and later the county government, Lands officials said.
The governor’s order for Tarda to be ejected came into effect on Tuesday evening, when Lands executive Hamilton Parseina moved to the property with 50 askaris.
Tarda leased the land on September 1, 1987, from the Olkejuado County Council under “mysterious circumstances”, now under investigations.
Parseina said the lease expired on August 31 and the county government gave them notice to revert the land.
“Tarda was requested to vacate possession of the property within 21 days of the notice dated September 25. After failing to do so, we have decided to evoke the governor’s order this evening,” he said.
The team led by Parseina and his Agriculture counterpart Moses ole Narok, entered the offices of Tarda without much resistance from the 26 workers in the property.
The farm’s project manager, Sammy Mulinge, attempted to resist the takeover, claiming he would not “just let government property to go like that”.
After a brief altercation with Parseina, he was warned the county government’s stand was clear and the move was unstoppable.
Parseina said Tarda leased the land for 30 years and it never paid a penny.
County askaris put padlocks on all houses, including the offices in the farm.
Mulinge requested to be allowed more time to dispose of the 88 grade cows and more than 2,000 broiler chickens.
The county workers rejected the request, saying Tarda had already been given 21 days. They said the authority did not need more time to pack up and leave.
Parseina said the county government has set aside Sh40 million to develop the property.
He said the county will plant hay for pastoralists.
Parseina said the government will then harvest the hay for use during drought, saying this will save farmers from buying dry grass at high prices from outside the county.
During the Mashujaa Day celebrations last week, Lenku said drought killed hundreds of livestock.
“I’m not sleeping because I am worried about what is going to happen to my people after all their livestock have perished,” the governor said.