Over 6,000 families living in the 8,000-acre Oljorai settlement scheme in Gilgil, Nakuru County are facing imminent evictions after a Lands court declared their title deeds null and void.
The ruling by the Environment and Land Court in Nakuru affects 6,800 members of the Oljorai Ltd, a land-buying company that settled them at the farm over 40 years ago.
Last week, the court ordered the Chief Land Registrar and the District Land Registrar to expunge from their records all the 3,320 titles claimed to be genuine dismissing the suit filed by Oljorai Ltd against Solai-Ruyobei Farm Ltd and declared the latter as the rightful proprietor of the land.
However, disputing the judgement, Oljorai settlers led by their chairman Peter Ole Osono, said the court was inconsiderate of the fact that the locals had settled on the disputed land for over four decades.
According to Ole Osono, they had moved to court in a bid to end the land skirmishes and tribal violence which had been witnessed for over 20 years due to land ownership wrangles.
Ole Osono, who is also the Nakuru ODM chairperson, vowed to appeal the decision saying despite Solai-Ruyobei Farm Ltd being awarded the land, they have never set foot on the said disputed farm.
On his part, Trusted Society of Human rights Alliance Chairperson Elijah Sikona said they will be petitioning the Judicial Service Commision (JSC) to Judiciary staff over handling of the matter.
