Church building reduced to rubble as land ownership row ends in demolition of ACK Mbita Parish

A significant structural loss was reported in Homa Bay County this week after the ACK Mbita Parish was demolished. The exercise, which took place on February 19, 2026, has flattened the church building following a deep-seated land ownership dispute that had remained unresolved for an extended period.

The demolition occurred amidst a backdrop of rising land-related tensions in the Nyanza region, where property boundaries and title deed validities are frequently contested in court. For the congregants of Mbita, the sight of their place of worship reduced to a heap of twisted iron sheets and broken timber marks a somber turn in a legal and social battle over the site's footprint.

Land ownership disputes in Homa Bay have become an increasing concern for the local administration and the Ministry of Lands. While the specific details of the court order or the party that initiated the mechanical demolition were not immediately clarified by local authorities, the move follows a pattern of enforced evictions and structural removals seen across the country when title disputes reach a breaking point.

The construction of the church had served as a central point for the community in Mbita, but like many institutional projects in the area, it fell victim to the complexities of land tenure. In Kenya, land disputes often stem from overlapping titles, historical grievances, or the slow pace of the Lands Information Management System in digitizing and verifying ancestral claims.

Security was reportedly tight during the exercise to prevent skirmishes between the parties involved in the conflict. Local residents observed the demolition from a distance, noting that the speed at which the structure was brought down left little room for the recovery of interior fixtures or parish records.

This incident highlights the precarious nature of building on disputed land without ironclad title clearances. Construction experts often warn that institutional buildings, including churches and schools, are not immune to the legal realities of land ownership, even if they have occupied a site for years.

In recent months, Homa Bay County has seen a series of similar interventions. Just last year, the Catholic Church in the same county was embroiled in a dispute with the government over land earmarked for the expansion of a State Lodge. These recurring conflicts suggest a systemic issue with land demarcation and the protection of property rights for religious institutions.

As it stands, the ACK Mbita Parish congregation will be forced to seek alternative premises. The ruins of the church remain on-site as a stark reminder of the consequences of unresolved land litigation. Local leaders have called for a more structured approach to mediation to prevent similar destructions of community infrastructure in the future.

The Diocese has yet to release a formal statement regarding the next steps for the parish, or whether they intend to appeal the circumstances that led to the demolition in a higher court.