Lands Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome has revealed that the national government will not intervene in the controversy surrounding the land tussle between the Kirima family and residents of Njiru in Nairobi.

Wahome says the High Court ruling that gave East Riverside Drive residents up to December 31, 2023 to vacate the Njiru land is final and that the decision was backed by records available at the Lands Ministry.

She indicated that the government will not shield Njiru residents from their impending evictions and instead advised them to either dialogue with the Kirima family to resolve the matter or vacate the land.

“As a ministry, we have received a lot of enquiries on if we can buy the land or settle people in the land. We have no such plans. The land belongs to Kirima and the government has no claim on that land or say in the matter,” said Wahome.

The CS also advised potential buyers or investors in land to verify the ownership of such land through checking the official records available at her ministry before proceeding to engage in any transaction.

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She urged: “Before you put your money on the table to an alleged land owner, please verify with the lands record. Be warned!”

According to Ministry of Lands records, the original owner, Percy Evely Randall, transferred the disputed parcel measuring 507 acres to Gerishon Kamau Kirima and John Gerishon Kirima in September 1967.

On November 23, Judge Anne Omollo of the Environment and Land Court declined to suspend an order for demolition and eviction of thousands of Njiru residents as earlier directed by judge Samson Okon'go.

Similarly, Justice Omollo also rejected a plea by Demico De Masi's son to be included in the land tussle case as an interested party claiming to have ownership of the land as the descendant of an Italian settler.

Residents of the Njiru land had rushed to court to challenge Justice Okong’o’s decision on October 23, 2023, ordering their eviction issued in favour of the family of late billionaire politician Gerishon Kirima.