The National Assembly Departmental Committee on Lands has intensified its inquiry into a contentious land ownership dispute between the National Police Service and a women’s group in Lang’ata, Nairobi.
The ongoing hearings have been marked by allegations of forged documents, erroneous land transfers, and the existence of double land titles.
The disputed land, situated in Lang’ata Constituency, is currently home to the upscale West Park Police Lines in South C estate.
The inquiry was initiated following a request for a statement by Kiambaa MP Hon. Njuguna Kawanjiku on behalf of the aggrieved Wilson Mutumba Women’s Group, which has laid claim to the land since the 1980s.
Appearing before the Committee, Principal Secretary for Lands and Physical Planning Hon. Nixon Korir, a former area MP, asserted that the land rightfully belongs to the government, dismissing the women’s group’s claims.
The Committee, chaired by North Mugirango MP Hon. Joash Nyamoko, is also investigating allegations that a former senior official from the now-defunct Criminal Investigation Department (CID) may have irregularly benefited from the land.
The women’s group contends that former President Daniel arap Moi allocated them the 26.8-hectare parcel, where an Irish organization later assisted in constructing 300 residential houses. However, the project was abandoned due to disagreements between the donor and the government, leaving the women’s group members to occupy the incomplete houses.
In 2005, Lang’ata Police evicted the group, with some members facing arrest. To challenge the eviction, the group filed a case before the Environment and Land Division of the High Court, where Justice Nyamu J ruled in their favor. However, Hon. Korir informed the Committee that the government had appealed the ruling, and the matter remains pending in court. He emphasized that the land had always been government property and was officially allocated to the Permanent Secretary of the National Treasury through an allotment letter dated April 28, 2010.
Committee members questioned how the land reverted to the government despite the court ruling favoring the women’s group.
“This is a very serious matter and mirrors many other disputes involving public land. That is why we need clarity from the state department to put this matter to rest,” said Committee Chairperson Nyamoko.
National Land Commission (NLC) Chairperson Mr. Gershom Otachi, who also appeared before the Committee, suggested alternative dispute resolution mechanisms to settle the matter outside the courts.
The Committee has scheduled a joint sitting with the PS for Interior and National Administration and the NLC on April 15, 2025, to further deliberate on the dispute.
