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The ownership saga of the over 1000 acres of land in Njiru has depended further with over 500 new claimants accusing the Kirima family of irregularly stocking the property.

A fresh suit filed by the chairperson of Runway View Residents Association Mihango George Ouma Olola on behalf of over 500 members seeks the courts’ intervention to suspend the December 31, 2023 demolition order by superior court judge Samson Okong’o.

Dispute

On October 23, 2023, Justice Okong’o vested the land in dispute to the estate of the late Billionaire Gerishon Kirima. The judge ordered all illegal occupants in the parcel of land to vacate the property failure to which the beneficiaries of the Kirima estate to forcibly evict them.

Aggrieved by the judge’s decision, the 500 members of Runway association have lodged a new suit under a certificate of urgency saying that Kirima is not the owner of the land in dispute.

According to fresh evidence filed in court by the association, it has been revealed that the land belongs to the estate of one Demico De Masi( now deceased), a former Italian settler, being administered by his son Bernado Vicezo De Masi.

“The applicants are seeking to have Bernado Vicezo De Masi be enjoined in the fresh case to shed light on the true ownership of the Multi-billion parcel of land,” Olalo states in his supporting affidavit.

The chairperson claims that he and the association members are in utter shock by the decision of the court as they have been residing on the parcel of land for over 40 years.

He adds that during their stay on the land they have developed over 15 schools, 4 SDA churches, Private academies, High schools, Njiru Level 4 hospital, and comboni and St Monica catholic churches among other institutions.

Olalo says that since the pronouncement of the High Court that they should exist on the land thousands of affected settlers have fallen sick and are currently hospitalised in various facilities with life-threatening diseases.

“I represent the public interest in this matter owing to the massive destruction of the community in the impending demolition ordered by the court which adversely affects Health institutions, learning institutions, and religious places of worship,” pleads Olalo asking the court to intervene.

In his bid to prove ownership, the association has presented to the court a title deed dated 1937 issued in favour of the Italian investor the late Domico de Dema.

He says that the applicants are on the verge of being homeless if the Judgement of Justice Okong’o is implemented.

” That the applicants are at risk of being left homeless by the court’s timeline is inopportune in light of the anticipated El Nino rains and fast-approaching family festive season,” says Olalo.

In addition, he says the Chief of Njiru approached current settlers informing them, “that indeed the intended defendant Masi who is the legal owner wishes to process titles to the association members.”

500 settlers

He says that the 500 settlers have been paying rates to Nairobi city county.

The suit filed by the settlers through Danstan Omari follows another one filed by 25,000 residents of Njiru last week who also seek to be declared owners of the land they occupy claiming that a government policy enacted by a former CS lands James Orengo during the regime of Mwai Kibaki recognised their ownership of the land.

The 25,000 petitioners filed the suit through two MPs Babu Owino (Embakasi East) and Ronald Karauri (Kasarani) seeking to suspend the implementation of the court decision to evict them.

In their petitions, all the applicants claim that the judgement of the court is void as there was non-disclosure of material facts regarding the true owner of the first parcel of land stretching from Njiru to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

It is said that the original owner, a former Italian settler late Demico De Masi is said to have been growing sisal and rearing cattle