Nubian community wins ownership battle for prime Kibera land

The Nubian community has won an ownership fight for a prime 288-acre parcel of land in Nairobi’s Kibera, ending a dispute rooted in the colonial-era settlement of Sudanese and Nubian soldiers in the area by the British government, which had enrolled them in its armed forces to pacify the region.

In a landmark decision, the Environment and Land Court has upheld that the Kibra Nubian community owns the land parcel, and has dismissed a constitutional petition seeking to revoke its title deed. The court, however, also rejected a Sh10 billion compensation claim by residents who said they faced displacement under a planned affordable housing redevelopment project.