2,000 Kiambu squatters ask Ruto to intervene after 30-year wait for land
By Oliver Musembi, March 10, 2026More than 2,000 squatters in the Kamiti area of Kiambu County have appealed to the government to fast-track their settlement on over 400 acres of land they claim was allocated to them more than 30 years ago.
Operating under the Kamiti Forest Squatters Association, the residents say the land was allocated to them by the late President Daniel Moi in 1994, but they have never taken possession due to prolonged court battles and interference by some government officials and wealthy individuals.
Led by their chairman Philip Makau, the squatters urged President William Ruto to intervene and ensure they receive their share of the 419-acre parcel located between Kiambu Town, Githunguri and Ruiru sub-counties.
Case on Land Ownership
The group spoke outside the Thika Environment and Land Court, where a hearing meant to determine ownership of the land had been scheduled.
Makau said the squatters’ voices must be heard in court, noting that several beneficiaries have died without receiving the land.
The association has also asked the court to visit the area and listen to the residents’ grievances, arguing that many of them have no other place to call home.
“We humbly appeal to the court to visit the ground and hear directly from residents who have been seeking justice for more than 30 years,” Makau said.
The squatters further accused some local administrators of colluding with individuals to grab a public cemetery in the area.
“We ask the Kiambu County Commissioner to take action against chiefs allegedly involved in the sale of the cemetery to wealthy individuals. We have nowhere else to bury our departed members,” Makau added.
Resident Fatuma Boru, who has lived in the area since 1996, claimed a local administrator recently told her she was not from the area and should “go back to Moyale.”
“I have lived and worked here with my family since I was a young girl. Now I am old with grandchildren. I appeal to the President to hear our cry and settle us because we have no other home,” Boru said.
Another resident, Francis Maina, also urged the government to address the squatters’ plight and expedite their settlement.
In 2022, the Parliamentary Committee on Lands and the National Land Commission visited the area and recommended that the status quo be maintained, meaning those currently occupying the land should be settled there.