Blood, Politics, and Land: The Sh100bn, 2,800-Acre Ngong Dispute

Violence erupted during a land subdivision exercise in Kibiko, Kajiado West, leaving several people injured and one police officer dead as security forces clashed with local youths.

For residents such as 80-year-old Melubo Ole Tirike, the dispute centres on securing formal land ownership. He has lived on the land for more than three decades and wants clear title deeds for his family. His situation reflects that of more than 12,000 Keekonyokie community members who have waited for settlement since the land was handed back to them in the early 1980s after government livestock programmes collapsed.

Views within the community remain divided. Some residents, including Seleu Ene Musanka, support the recent issuance of title deeds and see it as long overdue progress. Others are sceptical. Peninah Sisia and like-minded residents fear that the allocation process has been compromised, warning that influential outsiders may be benefiting at the expense of legitimate beneficiaries.

Tensions escalated in late December when police officers and government surveyors marking land boundaries were attacked by groups of youths armed with crude weapons. Security officers responded with teargas and rubber bullets, leading to running battles across the area. Several officers and civilians were injured, and one officer later died from injuries sustained during the clashes.

Police reports indicate that the violence follows a broader pattern. Over the past year, homes have been burned, vehicles damaged and individuals injured. Authorities say the incidents point to organised attempts to disrupt the process, though responsibility for the attacks remains contested.

The land dispute has become increasingly politicised. Kajiado Governor Joseph Ole Lenku has accused security agencies of protecting corrupt individuals seeking to take over the land. He has called on residents to pursue their grievances through peaceful means.

His position has been challenged by Kajiado West MP George Sunkuiya and County Assembly Speaker Justus Ngossor. They accuse the governor and his allies of inciting unrest and allegedly funding armed groups to obstruct the subdivision. Religious leaders have also expressed concern that political interference is undermining efforts to resolve the dispute.

Central to the conflict are two rival factions of the Keekonyokie Community Trust. One faction, led by Moses Parantai and previously supported by the county government, has long held the original title deed. The other, led by Moses Monik and recognised by the Ministry of Lands, is overseeing the current subdivision and issuance of title deeds.

Legal disputes have intensified divisions. In 2024, parallel elections produced competing sets of trustees, followed by the gazettement of Monik’s group. In 2025, the Environment and Land Court ordered Parantai to surrender the original title deed, allowing for a provisional certificate if he failed to do so. His faction appealed against the ruling, extending the legal uncertainty. Meanwhile, Monik’s group issued thousands of title deeds, prompting allegations of fraud from county officials.

The case has also exposed disagreements over jurisdiction. Gazetted trustees maintain that Kibiko is private land held by a registered community trust. The county government disputes this, arguing that the land falls under public oversight due to its scale and impact.

The Ministry of Lands has defended its officers, stating that all actions were based on court decisions. It has dismissed claims of irregularities, saying the process has followed legal requirements.

With the beaconing exercise nearing completion, uncertainty remains over whether the dispute is driven by internal leadership struggles or by external interests seeking control of valuable land near Ngong.