Kirima squatters have until 31st December to vacate.

Residents of East Riverside Drive who settled on more than 1000-acre parcel of landing at Njiru area in Nairobi belonging to the family of the  Gerrishon Kirima former member of Parliament (MP) Starehe were given until 31st December to have vacated from that area or try will face forcibly eviction.

They said that the seller told them the land belonged to foreigner Who had left the country. The Kirima family have been battling for this land since 2003 due to the illegal settlers. Samson Oko go the environment and land court judge dismissed a claim by a settler who said they had lived on the land uninterrupted for more than 12 years.

There are three groups of squatters claimed the land and stated that they were entitled to the parcel three adverse possession. Okongo Justice said that squatter’s enterocyte land without legal basis and started constructing their houses at that land. The judge said,”, The complainant who are the Kirima family has proved that the defenders did not obtain his content before entering into his said parcel of land and commencing construction where the defendants were in circumstances, trespassers on the said parcel of land.” The land is said to be owned by another group of persons who genuinely bought the land from the late Gerrishon Kirima before he passed.

The administrators of the estate, the widow Teresia and the daughter Anne Wangari were directed by the judge to complete the sales of the properties and use the purchasers with title deeds within 90 days.

The settlers were not lucky because the judge said they did not even show how they arrived at the acres that they were claiming. Those who claims to have purchased the land include Paul Ndungu who claimed that he had bought several parcels, Victoria Technical Enterprise, Mr. Isaac Mbugua and Mungai Geoffrey who purchased 14 parcels. A group of 1,310 people led by Maina Stephen under the Kamuto Self Help group claimed 160 acres, a group of 300 people led by Otieno John Obade who used to work nearby claims 80acres and another Muoroto self-help group under Naridai claimed 501 acres of the same land.

The judge said,”There’s no evidence as to whrn each of the 1,310 members of Kamatuto had occupied the suit property for a period of 20 years as from 2012 when they bought the present land “. The evidence presented to court was that the family held two parcel of land L.R. NO 6852/2 and L.R NO 5908/8 that was registered in the name of Gerishon Kamau Kirima where part of the land was used as a slaughter house and an adjacent land was used to hold ground of cattles.

The settlers said that they had occupied)and for more than 14 years uninterrupted and have made enormous development on the property. They argued that they only learnt of ownership in 2014 after the succession that involves the estate of Kirima where Kirima family said that they had filed more than five cases and it occurred 2003 seeking orders to vacate dwellers. The Gerishon Kirima family dismissed the claims saying that the given letters were forgeries and they had continued paying some rate