Members of the controversial land-buying company Kihiu Mwiri have been reprieved after the government issued 750 title deeds.
The move is the latest phase of a long-running exercise aimed at resolving one of Kenya's bloodiest land disputes.
The issuance, conducted in Gatanga, Murang'a County, brings to more than 4,000 the number of title deeds issued in the area over the past three years.
The exercise is intended to end decades of ownership disputes that claimed lives and left thousands of families living in uncertainty.
Speaking during the exercise, Lands Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome said her ministry had prepared 4,228 title deeds. Of these, 3,600 have already been verified and cleared for issuance, while the remaining documents are undergoing verification before being released to their rightful owners.
"I want us to complete this exercise properly because, once it is done, I do not want to hear any more complaints. My wish is that by the end of this process, everyone will be satisfied with the work the government has done," she said.
Wahome directed land officers to remain on site to verify ownership documents and correct errors involving names, parcel allocations and boundaries before the remaining title deeds are issued.
She said the ministry had restored the original membership register and was cross-checking it against land records and current occupation to ensure the original beneficiaries, or those who legally acquired the land, receive genuine title deeds.
The CS warned that the government would not hesitate to revoke irregularly acquired title deeds. She said anyone claiming to have purchased land must provide proof of payment and a valid sale agreement.
"If no money changed hands, I will cancel that title deed," she said, adding that individuals suspected of holding irregular titles would be summoned to explain how they acquired them before any further action is taken.
The Kihiu Mwiri land-buying company has for decades been synonymous with violent land disputes, leadership wrangles and ownership conflicts that turned the expansive settlement scheme into one of the country's most troubled land-buying projects.
Formed in 1965 to enable shareholders acquire land in the former White Highlands after independence, the company attracted thousands of members, mainly from Murang'a and Kiambu counties, who purchased shares in the hope of eventually owning land.
However, disputes over leadership, land subdivision and ownership records later split the company's board into rival factions, triggering years of court battles, allegations of fraud and a wave of violence.
Members of Kihiu Mwiri land buying company during a meeting with Lands Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome on June 26, 2026/ ALICE WAITHERA
At least 11 directors lost their lives, while several others
disappeared under mysterious circumstances as rival groups fought for control
of the company and its vast land holdings. Despite multiple investigations,
many of the killings remain unresolved.
The escalating violence prompted the national government to intervene in 2015 after then President Uhuru Kenyatta directed the Ministry of Lands to fast-track the issuance of title deeds as a lasting solution to the conflict.
The ministry, then under acting Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i, deployed more than 100 land officials to scrutinise ownership records, verify shareholders and prepare title deeds while cancelling irregular surveys and transactions found to have been fraudulently undertaken.
Although thousands of title deeds were subsequently issued, the verification exercise has continued over the years to resolve overlapping claims, boundary disputes and inconsistencies in company records.
Nominated Senator Veronica Maina welcomed the latest issuance, saying it finally offered hope to families that had endured years of violence and uncertainty.
"Kihiu Mwiri has witnessed many deaths because of land disputes. I am happy the government is finally resolving this matter once and for all," she said.
Maragua MP Mary Waithera described the exercise as the conclusion of a painful chapter in the area's history, noting that many families had waited for decades to obtain legal ownership documents.
She urged residents receiving title deeds to resolve any boundary disputes amicably if they discovered that developments such as homes, fences or pit latrines had crossed into neighbouring parcels.
The MP said completing the titling exercise would give families the security of legal land ownership and enable parents to pass property to their children without future disputes, ending years of anxiety that had defined the lives of thousands of Kihiu Mwiri shareholders.
Mary Mugechi, an original member, said she had searched for her title deed for decades before eventually losing hope.
"If I had lost my child before today, I'd not have had anywhere to bury them. I can't express the joy this document has given me. It has safeguarded my children's future," she said after receiving her title deed.
INSTANT ANALYSIS
Formed in 1965 to enable shareholders to acquire land in the former White Highlands after independence, the company attracted thousands of members, mainly from Murang'a and Kiambu counties, who purchased shares in the hope of eventually owning land. However, disputes over leadership, land subdivision and ownership records later split the company's board into rival factions, triggering years of court battles, allegations of fraud and a wave of violence that shocked the country.
