An aerial view of a section of Syokimau in Machakos County in this picture taken on September 25 2025.
A long-standing land dispute in Syokimau has now officially reached the floor of the Machakos County Assembly, with 124 landowners petitioning the House to affirm their ownership and stop what they term as interference and misinformation by a rival residents’ group.
In a formal communication read by the Speaker on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, the Assembly confirmed receipt of a petition filed on April 7, 2026, by members of the Syokimau Developers and Business Association.
The association, which has been registered under the Societies Act since 2019, told the House that it represents 124 members who each hold valid title deeds for parcels ranging from LR No. 13323/1 to LR No. 13323/124.
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The petition further states that the Syokimau Farmers Association originally owned the land and was later subdivided through due process under the Survey of Kenya, with all required fees paid to the Ministry of Lands and annual rates consistently remitted to the County Government of Machakos.
However, the dispute escalated in 2021 when the Syokimau Residents Association moved to court, claiming the parcels were irregularly acquired and formed part of public utility land.
The petitioners told the Assembly that the case was dismissed in 2022 for lack of evidence, and that the court affirmed the legality of their ownership. Despite that ruling, they allege that the rival group has continued to interfere with development and label them as land grabbers.
“Despite the ruling, the Syokimau Residents Association has continued to propagate misinformation, branding members as ‘land grabbers’ and discouraging development on lawfully owned property,” the petition reads.
The petitioners further argue that the continued dispute has violated their constitutional right to property.
“This has infringed upon members’ rights to property under Article 40 of the Constitution of Kenya, which guarantees the right to acquire and own property in any part of Kenya,” the document states.
They also told the Assembly that the ongoing interference has had economic consequences for Machakos County by limiting development approvals and land rates collection.
The Machakos County Assembly in session on November 23, 2016.
“The continued interference has denied members the ability to develop their land, thereby depriving the County Government of revenue from rates, rents, and approvals, contrary to Article 209(3) of the Constitution,” the petition adds.
The group further claims that the matter has remained unresolved at the office of the County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Lands since 2023, despite multiple engagements.
In their formal prayers, the petitioners want the County Assembly to inquire into and confirm the ownership of parcels L.R. No. 13323/1 to L.R. No. 13323/124, affirming that they are privately owned by members of the Syokimau Developers and Business Association.
They also want the House to issue a formal communication declaring the parcels private property, direct the County Government to protect their development rights, and caution the rival association against interfering with lawful development.
The Assembly noted that the petition meets all legal requirements under the Petition to County Assemblies (Procedure) Act, 2020, and Standing Orders, and confirmed that it is admissible.
Under Standing Order 201(1), the petition has been referred to the Lands Committee, which now has 60 days to investigate and table a report before the House.
The dispute adds to a growing list of land-related conflicts in fast-developing parts of Machakos County, where competing claims over ownership and public utility designation continue to stall development projects.
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