The government has pledged to allocate land to the Athi River Special Economic Zone to boost its operations.
Making the announcement, President William Ruto said that the additional land would lead to the creation of employment for many youths.
He said the state will buy the 'idle' land from Portland Cement.
"Na ile ardhi imepatikana kutoka portland cement. Kama serikali tutanunua kiasi ya hiyo arthi tuongeze kwa hii facility ya the River ya Epz so that we can employ more youths and also facilitate the company. So that they can continue with manufacturing industrialization.
This loosely translates to: "The land that has been found from Portland cement, as the government we will buy a piece of it, and we give it to the EPZ facility."
The land President Ruto is referring to was contested in the courts.
The 4,298 acres are located along Mombasa Road, South of Athi River Township in Machakos County.
The residents are said to have settled on the land after East Africa Portland Cement (EAPC) PLC finished its mining operations on it a decade ago.
However, a Machakos High Court earlier this week declared EAP PLC the legitimate owner of land LR NO. 10424 located within Athi River in Mavoko, Machakos County.
This follows a legal suit No. 74 of 2014 filed at Machakos ELC Court by some individuals, and officials of Aimi Ma Lukenya Society against the cement grinder on the said land’s ownership dispute in 2014.
The suit had been consolidated with Petition No. 10 of 2018 with Julius Mutie Mutua, Alex Kyalo Mutemi, Pascal Kiseli Basilo Mungui listed as plaintiffs suing as officials of Aimi Ma Lukenya Society and East African Portland Cement Ltd, chief Lands registrar and Attorney General as first, second and third defendants respectively.
Judge Lady Justice A. Nyukuri, sitting at Machakos ELC Court on Monday ruled that the Plaintiff suit stands dismissed and struck out with costs to the defendant.
The ruling comes after about a decade of court battles between the company and the locals on the parcel of land’s ownership.
