"Government, chemicals company finally strike deal on Mukuru land"

Orbit Chemicals Industries Limited, which is laying claim to Mukuru Kwa Njenga land, has struck a deal with the Government that would see evicted residents resettled on the disputed parcel. This follows the multi-ministerial efforts by Interior and Land dockets, with Cabinet Secretary for Lands, Farida Karoney, saying that the regularisation of ownership by private citizens has kicked off.

The Mukuru Kwa Njenga locals were evicted from the land in the last quarter of 2021. Neither the National Government nor the Nairobi Metropolitan Services took responsibility for the mass demolitions. Locals alleged that a wealthy private developer was out to dehouse them from land that they’d lived on for decades, only for clarity to emerge much later that the chemicals company was claiming the disputed parcel.

Amnesty International reported that around 40,000 people were affected by the demolitions. Following the State intervention initiated by President Uhuru Kenyatta on January 6, Orbit Chemicals Industries Limited has now agreed to surrender the land on condition that it receives a compensation.