Kirinyaga County Executive Committee (CEC) member for Lands Samwel Kajombe (black suit), Chief Officer Fredrick Bundi (white coat), Director Physical Planning Daniel Muraguri and County Land Surveyor Stephen Wambugu inspect two acres of land that had been grabbed. The land had been designated for the Kutus Bus Park/HANDOUT
The County Government of Kirinyaga says it has recovered more than 800 acres of public land valued at about Sh1 billion that it says had been irregularly acquired by private entities.
According to the county, the prime land, located mainly in major towns across Kirinyaga, had been set aside by the defunct local authorities for public use but was later taken over by individuals.
The parcels were reportedly reserved for hospitals, courts, police stations, markets, schools, irrigation dams, bus terminals, and playfields, among other social amenities.
Governor Anne Waiguru said her administration would continue efforts to reclaim all public land that was irregularly acquired. She urged those still occupying such land to surrender it voluntarily to the government.
Waiguru said the acquisition of public land for private use had deprived citizens of essential services and communal benefits.
“Safeguarding public land from being grabbed is important because such land is meant to serve the collective good, not private interests. Public land holds schools, hospitals, parks, forests, and infrastructure. It is also allocated for future development projects such as roads, affordable housing, and public utilities. If taken away, these plans are disrupted,” she said.
County Executive for Lands, Physical Planning and Urban Development, Rev. Samuel Kajombe, said the county was pursuing several court cases seeking to recover parcels believed to have been irregularly acquired.
“We have several ongoing court cases that seek to recover public land. We are optimistic the County Government will succeed and get the land back for the benefit of the community,” Kajombe said.
Among the parcels whose ownership is under dispute are those designated for the Gichugu Law Court and Kianyaga Police Station, which the county says are being claimed by private individuals. Others include 18 hectares reserved for the Murinduko dam and experimental farm, and about 700 acres of the South Ngariama land earmarked for government offices, schools, hospitals, water points, markets, and other public facilities.
Kajombe said some parcels were not surrendered to the defunct local authorities even after their owners were compensated with alternative land.
“These individuals did not surrender title deeds for land acquired by the local authority, and because it was not immediately developed, some returned and later sold it to unsuspecting buyers,” he said.
Waiguru’s land recovery initiative has drawn praise from the Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA), after the county helped reinstate the church on a piece of land it had been evicted from.
According to the church, the land had been allocated by the defunct local authority, but in 2013 a private party took possession. The court later ruled in favour of the church.
On Sunday, worshippers at PCEA Kianyaga held their first service in two years at their reclaimed church premises.
“We are grateful that the county government helped us to get back our land, which had been taken away by a land buyer who evicted worshippers from a premise they had built over 30 years ago,” said Wilson Maina, the Kirimara West Presbytery Moderator.
One of the major parcels recovered through the courts, according to the county, is the 242-acre piece of land where the Sagana Industrial Park is being constructed.
“We went to court, we won, they appealed, and again, we won. I led delegations many times because I wanted this land back for the people of Kirinyaga since we have plans for industrial growth,” Waiguru said.
She emphasized that the recovery efforts were not politically motivated.
“I have no personal interest in any of the land. What matters is that Kirinyaga people benefit through development,” she said.
Waiguru added that protecting public land also supports environmental conservation, noting that many such areas include forests, wetlands, and water catchment zones that help maintain biodiversity and protect natural resources.
“Properly managed public land attracts investment, supports agriculture, housing, and industry, and boosts the economy. If we had allowed the 242 acres at Thigirici to be taken, we would not have had space to build the Sagana Industrial Park,” she said.
Other parcels the county says have been reclaimed include land for the Kerugoya affordable housing project and clothing market, the proposed Kutus bus park, the Mwea “red soil” site for a rice research centre, the Baricho stadium, and the Nyangati MCA offices.