Taxpayers face Sh729m bill in 19-year Nyeri land compensation dispute

A 19-year legal battle over the state acquisition of the 134.9-acre Wambugu Farm in Nyeri has left taxpayers facing a potential payout of Sh729.1 million.

The long-running dispute centres on land located in the Gatitu area, approximately five kilometres from Nyeri town along the Nyeri-Karatina highway.

The National Land Commission (NLC) and the Ministry of Agriculture have been embroiled in the legal standoff with the descendants of colonial-era Chief Wambugu Mathangani.

Initially, about 200 acres of the land were leased to the defunct Nyeri County Council in 1957 to serve as an agricultural demonstration site.

Upon expiry of that lease, the Ministry of Agriculture approached the family in 2006 with an offer to purchase the land, committing to buy 134 acres and return the remaining undeveloped sections.

Friction arose when the government invoked compulsory acquisition laws and offered Sh145.6 million, a figure the family contested, citing an independent valuation of Sh420 million.

The broad multi-million shilling claim currently facing the exchequer includes the principal land valuation, the cost of buildings, and substantial interest accrued since the state initiated the inquiry in 2007.

The Environment and Land Court (ELC) ordered the state to return the title deed for the 54.55-hectare parcel, with instructions that the registry retain it until the 35 eligible beneficiaries receive their full compensation.

Delays in resolving historical compulsory acquisitions continue to place a heavy burden on public coffers, as interest penalties accumulate over decades of litigation.