MORE than 1,000 elderly persons of Nanga Kihoto Naivasha Limited will soon receive their title deeds after waiting for 22 years.
The 1,768 elderly persons, most of whom are coffee farmers from Gatanga in Murang’a county, acquired the 1,277 acres of land back in 1981 at a cost of Sh4.3 million.
They have been leasing parts of the land to horticultural firms for many years.
Chairperson Francis Muheria said some of the land was occupied by squatters who were flushed out following a court order.
Each member will finally get half an acre after decades of leadership disputes that made it impossible for them to acquire ownership documents.
“We have engaged a surveyor who has already done more than 85 per cent of the work on the 1,240 acres in Karati location, near Naivasha town,” Muheria said.
He said this was possible following the resolution of major hurdles that hampered subdivision of the land.
Eight petitioners, led by Pharis Ngugi, filed cases at the Nakuru High Court but were dismissed.
Further, Muheria said the land was set aside for public utilities such as a police station, chief’s camp and schools during subdivision.
He cautioned Naivasha residents against falling prey to unscrupulous brokers claiming the land is on sale “There are people selling fake certificates to unsuspecting people mostly in Naivasha. Be aware not to fall into the trap as more than 100 people have been conned,” Muheria, who was accompanied by the firm’s lawyer Francis Njanja, said.
He said Nanga-Kihoto-Naivasha Limited has received immense support from the Lands Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome, and Murang’a and Nakuru county governments in its efforts to subdivide the land.
Njanja said it is unfortunate that some former directors have been frustrating efforts to issue title deeds to members for years. He said members contributed their resources through their coffee factories to join the company. “We have been holding Annual General Meetings consistently and filing returns to the registrar of companies as the law demands,” Njanja said. Beatrice Nyambura, a member, expressed her delight.
