Nairobi City County government and members of a group of informal sector workers are locked in a court battle for control of a 152-acre land in Njiru, Embakasi, amid claims of disobedience of an interim order barring interference with the property.
Members of Bondeni Maili Saba Jua Kali Association have accused the county government of attempting to grab the parcel of land by deploying tractors to begin development of the property, violating a court order.
Their lawyer, John Andati, claims this has escalated tensions in the area. The county has not yet responded to the allegations in court, though it is expected to do so before the end of the month as directed by Justice Christine Ochieng.
In the suit filed at the Environment and Lands Court, the group has applied for an order summoning Governor Johnson Sakaja to show cause why his administration should not be cited in contempt for allegedly disobeying a court order dated April 7, 2025.
"The Nairobi County Government has placed a container on the suit property despite status quo orders being in force. There is continued occupation of the suit property by goons hired by the Nairobi County Government, and the situation has become extremely volatile, posing a severe and imminent threat to the peace and security of the area," says the group's lawyer, John Andati, in the court papers.
He wants Mr Sakaja found guilty of contempt, adding that his clients have photographic evidence of the alleged individuals and county officials occupying the land.
The claimants allege that the county government hired unidentified individuals to secure and prevent members of the group from accessing the land.
Court papers show that the contested land is registered as L.R No. 27329, originally L.R. No.10905-Embakasi.
The lawyer says the interim order suspended all actions, including selling, alienating, interfering with, or dealing with the property.
Their claim of ownership is pegged on a certificate of lease issued to the group by the defunct City Council of Nairobi in 1998 at an annual rent of Sh34,000 for a term of 99 years.
The document dated November 15, 1998, is part of the exhibits the group intends to adduce in court to back their claim that they are the lawful owners of the land.
The case is scheduled for a hearing on October 6, 2025.
Other documentary exhibits include a letter of confirmation from the District Commissioner dated August 7, 2008, and a bundle of rent payment receipts. The court has not tested the veracity of the exhibits.
Led by Mr Segbo Tundura Gagi, the group adds that the illegal activities being conducted openly on the land were causing immense unrest, tension, and frequent confrontations between the alleged perpetrators, potential buyers, and the legitimate occupants of the land.
"As a direct consequence of the illegal activities and actions of the Nairobi county government officials and the hired goons, members of the Bondeni Maili Saba Jua Kali Association, including myself, have been forcibly displaced from our homes on the suit property," claims Mr Gagi.
He informs the court that the displacement, coupled with constant threats and insecurity, has caused severe psychological torture, distress, and harm to the affected members as well as disruption of livelihoods.
The case is scheduled for a hearing on October 6, 2025.
Besides the court dispute, the group has also petitioned the Senate to intervene and protect their right to their property.
The petition received by the Senate on July 22, 2025, wants the Senators to initiate an inquiry into the alleged activities of the county government on the land and recommend to the National Police Service to provide security to the property.
"That the Senate do recommend to the relevant government agencies, including the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), to immediately begin investigations into the conduct of the County Government of Nairobi officials involved in the illegal sale of the suit property and the displacement of residents," reads the petition. The matter is awaiting consideration.
