Murang’a, Kenya — The Centuries-Old Land Wound Re-Opens

Murang’a’s land crisis has escalated into a flashpoint that could shape Kenya’s political and social landscape in the run-up to the 2027 general election. The dispute, rooted in colonial-era dispossession and compounded by decades of legal battles, pits local families claiming ancestral rights against one of the country’s largest agribusiness firms. This article has been verified against credible sources including legal filings, court rulings, and on-the-ground reporting by independent Kenyan media and land rights organisations. 

The Dispute: Ancestral Land vs Corporate Title

At the heart of the conflict is Kakuzi PLC, a Nairobi Securities Exchange-listed agribusiness that controls tens of thousands of acres of farmland in Murang’a County. Local families and community groups assert that their forebears farmed this land long before it was registered under corporate ownership and that colonial and post-independence land policies denied them rightful ownership. These historical grievances are more than emotion — they have been documented by the National Land Commission (NLC) and civil society organisations. 

In November 2025, the NLC issued a directive that Kakuzi surrender 3,200 acres of its land to vulnerable local communities, a ruling that has reignited tensions. The company, however, has challenged that order in court, arguing that it undermines investor confidence and violates constitutional property rights. 

“We Were Born Here”: The Squatters’ Perspective

Community leaders describe generations of families living, farming, and raising children on land they say their forefathers worked. Many residents identify as “squatters” not by choice but because colonial and later land acquisitions dispossessed them with little redress. The NLC’s fact-finding missions and hearings have brought forward personal testimonies of displacement, restricted access to fertile land, and restricted movement through what residents claim are public access routes. 

Court records reveal ongoing litigation, including disputes where local organisations have sought declarations of ownership and challenged corporate claims over specific parcels. 

Legal Battles and the State’s Role

The Environment and Land Court has been a central battleground. In 2025, Kakuzi sought court orders to evict families it alleges are trespassing following survey and marking of contested parcels. The company’s filings emphasise potential financial losses, disruption of agricultural operations, and threats to employment if the evictions are not enforced. 

Yet, enforcement has proved elusive. Despite court orders, some occupiers remain on the land, illustrating the enforcement challenges the state faces amid political sensitivities. 

Political Dimensions and Mobilisation

Local politicians have increasingly invoked the dispute in public forums, promising protection and justice for families they claim have been wronged. Critics argue that this politicisation risks deepening divisions without delivering practical solutions. Government officials, including national leadership, have at times cautioned against incitement and urged resolution through legal frameworks rather than confrontation. 

Historical Context: Roots in Colonial Injustice

The land question in Murang’a cannot be divorced from the broader history of land alienation under colonial rule. During the colonial period, fertile “white highlands” were appropriated for settler farming, creating widespread displacement among local communities — a dynamic that echoes in contemporary disputes. 

Proposed Solutions and Their Limits

Experts, land lawyers, and rights advocates argue that a purely legal approach will not quell the crisis. Claims for ancestral rights and restitution are deeply intertwined with politics, identity, and justice. Some propose state purchase or compensation schemes — similar to government interventions in other historic disputes — but fiscal constraints and competing priorities have made such solutions difficult to implement. In the past, the Kenyan government resolved squatters’ disputes on other properties by acquiring land and providing settlement arrangements, though these processes have been uneven and contested. 

A Landscape Unresolved

As we approach the rainy season, physical boundary markers remain in dispute and enforcement remains partial. The standoff reflects not just a local land disagreement but a national reckoning with historical injustice, legal certainty, and political expediency.

In Murang’a, the red earth carries memories as deep as its color — memories of ancestral ties, displacement, and claims that refuse to be buried.