The battle for the control of prime land in Mau Narok by the family of the late Cabinet Minister Mbiu Koinange is far from over.
Attempts to occupy the controversial 4296 acres of land at Muthera farm following a court ruling in their favour have been futile.
After the court in 2020 ruled on the two-decade-long succession dispute on the estate of Mr Koinange, the family faced a new challenge in occupying the land after a group of people, who it claims are former workers, claimed ownership.
Several attempts by the family to take possession of the prime land have been thwarted by violent opposition.
The latest attempt was made on Friday, August 16, resulting in a botched meeting convened by the Managers assigned by the Koinange family to chat way forward after a section of youth armed with machetes became rowdy at the farm claiming ownership.
Police were forced to intervene by calling off the meeting to allow proper security measures to be made before the Koinange family could occupy the parcel of land.
The Mpoe family which had mobilized themselves in large numbers threatened to face off with a group that had accompanied the managers appointed by the Mbiu Koinange family.
Mr Francis Mwangi who is one of the managers said it has been difficult for the family to occupy the land due to the violence.
He said the family of Mpoe who he said were employees of Mbiu Koinange family have been reluctant to vacate the property over fears they will lose the benefits they have been enjoying from leasing the land.
He revealed that the land has been generating close to Ksh60 million from leasing alone the money he said was being used to fan violence on the farm.
Mr Samson Konene ole Nkuruna, also a farm manager, said he was among the people who initially managed the land but vacated when the court ruled that it belonged to Koinange’s family.
Mr Nkuruna who ought protection from the police claimed the group had forged ownership documents to claim the land and frustrate the Koinange’s family from taking it back.
Koinange’s grandchild Sedrick Mbiyu Koinange maintained that they are the legit owners of the Muthera Farm, adding that they will not tolerate any invasion on the same.
Mbiyu Koinange said there was a technicality of the land registration but the matter has been addressed and the land is in the right ownership as per the Title Deed.
The group on the other hand-maintained claim to be the rightful owners of the land which they have occupied for decades.
Led by Mr Joseph Mpoe, claimed the land belonged to his late father Kikenyi Mpoe who acquired it in the 1930s.
Joseph argued that Mr Koinange used his position as the interior cabinet minister to grab the land from them.
Joseph was in the company of his late brother Moses Mpoe who was killed during a shooting incident in Nakuru in 2016. He survived the shooting despite getting eight bullets that claimed one of his eyes.
The group vowed to remain on the land while expressing their resolve to do whatever it takes to defend their claim.
Josephat Munke ole Mpoe lamented that they have lost at least six of their members in their fight over the land and will not stop at anything.
In the documents seen by media, the family Division at Milimani issued a decree on July 3, 2024 confirming that the land LR No 8669/3 Mau Narok (Muthera farm) was part of the estate of the late Mbiu Koinange.
Mau Narok Assistant County Commissioner Fredrick Mwendwa said the farm has been a subject of confrontation which has caused a security threat.
He noted that the security agencies had launched investigations to establish those culpable for the violence and take legal action against them.
“There are people who have been associating the land to the Presidency and I want to make it clear that the land belongs to the family of Koinange and the President has nothing to do with it,” said Mr Mwendwa.
Rights activist Mr James Mugo called upon the Inspector General of Police David Kanja to intervene in the matter to evict the illegal occupants.
