The family of the late Murang'a tycoon Gerishon Kirima has told those illegally occupying its 1,000 acres of land in Nairobi's Njiru estate to continue with the process of legalising their ownership.
Speaking in Murang'a County to mark the 15th anniversary of the death of the patriarch, the family said it does not plan to demolish homes and push for evictions any time soon.
Mr Kirima was a prominent businessman and politician who was born in Kiruri village, Murang'a County. After a humble beginning, he gained prominence by building a multi-billion-shilling business empire and served as a Member of Parliament for Starehe Constituency in Nairobi.
He passed away in 2010 at the age of 80, leaving behind a succession battle that raged for years as his polygamous family battled for administration rights.
View of some of the properties developed on part of the land owned by the family of the late city politician Gerrishon Kirima.
Photo credit: Wilfred Nyangaresi | Nation Media Group
After a separate long-running legal battle to regain their vast land, which had been subdivided and developed, the family was declared the rightful owners in 2023.
They have since been holding talks with the homeowners to pay for the land they had been occupying illegally.
His daughter Anne Wangari now says the storm is over and "we will continue engaging positively with the thousands of home owners, who out of reasons well in public domain and that were arbitrated by the Judiciary, have been classified as illegal occupants of our land".
She described the estate tussle that erupted in the family as "normal family conflict that played out badly...but we thank God that the storm is over".
Aerial view of Njiiru land that court declared belongs to the family of late Gerishon Kirima.
Photo credit: Pool
“We will now continue engaging the homeowners on that land to go on with the process of regularising their individual portions. Our assurance this Christmas and New Year is that forceful evictions are not in our immediate plans".
She said that despite the court ruling, which branded the homeowners as invaders who should be evicted, "we came together as a family and resolved to be empathetic, give the victims a chance to legalise their occupation through buying at agreed rates".
The residents had initially faced eviction for failing to meet the land purchase offer demands set by the Kirima family for a win-win situation.
