8,000 Mbo-I-Kamiti shareholders allocated land

Remains of one of the coffee factories at Mbo-I Kamiti company in Kiambu after greedy directors looted the former giant land buying company. At least 8,000 shareholders of the controversy-ridden company were at the weekend allocated plots at its last farm in Ruiru, Kiambu County. PHOTO/FILE

What you need to know:

  • This paves the way for the formal winding up of the firm founded in the early 1970s by Kiambu farmers and which went on to acquire property valued at billions of shillings.
  • Twiga Estate is the last of the properties owned by Mbo-I-Kamiti.
  • The settlement of plot owners at Twiga estate off the Thika Superhighway heralds the dissolution of the company which has been steeped in controversy and murders over land disputes.

At least 8,000 shareholders of the controversy-ridden Mbo-I-Kamiti land buying company were at the weekend allocated plots at its last farm in Ruiru, Kiambu County.

This paves the way for the formal winding up of the firm founded in the early 1970s by Kiambu farmers and which went on to acquire property valued at billions of shillings.

The chairman, Dr Thuo Mathenge, said the settlement of plot owners at Twiga estate off the Thika Superhighway heralds the dissolution of the company which has been steeped in controversy and murders over land disputes.

END OF MBO-I-KAMITI

“This is the end of Mbo-I-Kamiti as a company since shareholders have taken over their property; it also marks the end of wrangles which have led to loss of lives,” Dr Mathenge said after presiding over a balloting exercise for the 1,075-acre land.

He said it was unfortunate that several people including three former directors were killed over the land adding: “All that is now history.”

The chairman said the company also allocated shareholders five other parcels within Kiambu.

The balloting, overseen by Ruiru police commander Isaac Thuranira and other company directors including vice-chairman Gabriel Njure and treasurer George Njuguna, took place under tight security amid fears that squatters evicted from the farm in December 2012 planned to disrupt the exercise.

SQUATTERS LOST CASE

Sub-division of the farm came shortly after 4,000 squatters lost a case in which they were challenging their eviction during which three people were shot dead by police and several others injured.

Through their leader Salome Mwihaki, the group had filed a case in the High Court claiming that the land belonged to them after inheriting it from a White settler in 1965 and that the eviction was unfair.

However, Mbo-I-Kamiti Company, which acquired the farm in exchange of a tea farm with former cabinet minister Njenga Karume, argued the petitioners were encroaching on their land.

VIOLENTLY EVICTED

The squatters were violently evicted from the land on December 24, 2012, on the strength of another High Court order sought by the land buying company.

Some of the evictees have since been camping outside the Ruiru Police Station.

Dr Mathenge said the farm has been sub-divided into plots of 50 by 100-feet.

Twiga Estate is the last of the properties owned by Mbo-I-Kamiti which included coffee and tea plantations on six different chunks of land, mainly in Kiambu and Murang’a counties.