MPs have ordered the Ministry of Lands to resurvey the land leased to Del Monte Kenya Limited in Murang'a as a row over the renewal of the firm's contract deepened.
The ministry disclosed that the juice processing company could be occupying land that is more than the 2,900 acres indicated in the ownership documents.
Deputy director of land administration Charles Githenya told the National Assembly's Lands Committee that there could be other parcels that are not included in the ownership documents in the Lands office.
“We want a fresh survey done and the director should give us a report in three weeks to confirm that indeed Del Monte sits on 2,900 acres,” committee chairperson Rachel Nyamai said.
Githenya appeared before the panel alongside Lands Chief Administrative Secretary Gideon Mung’aro and principle surveyor Paul Ndung’u to respond to concerns raised by the Kandara Residents Association over the renewal of Del Monte’s lease.
The residents claim Del Monte has more than 22, 000 acres.
In their petition to the National Assembly, they allege that the county government of Murang’a had "secretly" okayed the renewal of the lease.
“In anticipation of expiry of the lease, the County Government of Murang’a has irregularly renewed the lease in favour of Del Monte Kenya Limited. The Land Act requires that at the expiry of a leasehold tenure, the NLC shall inform the lease of his or her pre-emptive right to allocation of the land upon application,” reads the petition signed by association chairman Philip Waruth.
But the ministry refuted the allegations, saying the leases can only be renewed by the Lands CS up on the recommendation of the county government and the National Land Commission.
"When an individual or body wants a lease renewed, they apply to the county, and then the county will carry out public participation then forward the same to the NLC before it gets to the CS for renewal,” Munga’aro said.
He however said the firm has applied to the county seeking the renewal of the lease of the 2, 900 acres, but a decision has not been reached.
The CAS said that the firm wants all the seven parcels in Murang’a totalling 2,900 acres amalgamated.
Del Monte has leased large tracts of land in Murang'a and Kiambu counties. In September last year, the county government of Kiambu renewed the lease for 8,000 acres in Kiambu.
A section of Kandara residents who yesterday appeared before the panel moments after the Lands ministry were questioned, said that the land where Del Monte stands is their ancestral home. They claim they were illegally displaced by the firm.
The residents demanded that they be allocated at least 8,000 acres.
“We are concerned that our hope of reclaiming our ancestral land at the expiry of Del Monte Kenya Limited's lease will not be realised,” Waruth said.
(Edited by P. Wanambisi)
