Kiambu – The Kiambu Historical Land Injustice Association has formally petitioned the National Lands Commission (NLC) to speed up the land restitution process that aims to correct historical injustices done to local clans.

According to a new release by Kenya News Agency, the Chairman of the Association, nearly 100 clan representatives gathered at the NLC headquarters on Thursday to express their frustration over the lack of progress in a case that dates back to the British colonial era.

Karanja highlighted the community’s disappointment with the delay in resolution, despite promises from the NLC that the case would be settled by March 2023. The assurances were made during a meeting at Utalii College in November 2022. “As clan members, we want to see justice served and reclaim the lands that hold profound historical and cultural values for our communities,” said Karanja.

The affected clans are descendants of individuals whose lands were forcibly taken in 1895 by the British colonial government. They recounted the troubling experiences of their ancestors, who were displaced and subjected to dire living conditions. Karanja outlined how land stretching about 2 to 3 miles on both sides of the Kenya-Uganda railway, from Fort Smith to Limuru, was seized. He stated that the people were relegated to less fertile areas, as 50% to 75% of Kiambu’s lands were appropriated.

Not only were communities confined to infertile regions, but their grazing lands were also stripped away. This led to significant shifts as communities with large livestock herds had to find new pastures in the Rift Valley, only to discover these areas had already been claimed by European settlers. Karanja said that the effects of the land dispossession were profound, resulting in poverty and a significant decline in agricultural output.

He also noted that post-independence expectations for land restitution were not met. Government officials and their associates acquired these lands from departing European settlers, despite the expiration of leases that had been in place since 1920. “Post-independence, the rightful owners awaited the return of their lands but were met with disappointment,” Karanja concluded.