A two-acre piece of land worth close to Sh200 million in Maziwa, Nairobi, said to belong to a housing society is at the centre of a protracted dispute, including ugly confrontations in a battle pitting the management of the society and politicians over its control.
The land belonged to Kamuthi Housing Co-operative Society, which claims that after settling its 152 pioneer members in 1990s, earmarked it for the construction of a market, dispensary, school, social hall and police station to benefit the members.
But before the land was used for the targeted mission, individuals who were not part of the firm and who reportedly worked in cahoots with some land ministry officials grabbed it, sub-divided and fraudulently sold part of it to third parties.
Other plots, officials say, were then irregularly allocated to people by Nairobi City Council and Ministry of Lands
However, the society filed a complaint with commissioner of land to have the title deeds revoked.
The matter was moved to court where it has been dragging, costing the firm a fortune.
But even as the matter continue to drag in court, the society is fighting wars with local politicians, who have been claiming that the land is public and accused the management of Kamuthi of illegally holding on to it.
This has led to confrontations after groups of people, alleged to have the backing of local politicians invaded the land and put up business structures, forcing the firm management to seek police interventions to have them flashed out.
Kamuthi has filed a police report against Kahawa West Ward Representative Joseph Komu, accusing him of leading groups in invading the land on grounds that its public property.
Another complaint has also been filed with the National Land Commission and Directorate of Criminal Investigations accusing him of “interference with the co-operative assets” by inciting public to invade the land on grounds that it’s theirs.