Eldoret Lands and Environment Court judge Anthony Ombwayo awarded the multi-billion-shilling compensation to the families of Joseph Korir and Kiptot Sitienei, both of whom have died. [Photo/standardmedia.co.ke]
Two families in Uasin Gishu county have been awarded Sh4.5 billion in compensation for the loss of 1,050 acres of land, which is almost a third the size of Eldoret town.
The disputed land, which borders Eldoret National Polytechnic on the Eldoret-Kapsabet highway, has since been turned into Langas estate and institutions have been constructed on it.
In a landmark ruling on Friday, Eldoret Lands and Environment Court judge Anthony Ombwayo awarded the multi-billion-shilling compensation to the families of Joseph Korir and Kiptot Sitienei, both of whom have died.
The case, which has been pending in court for 15 years, had been filed by Pius Tott, who is the administrator of the land valued at Sh7 billion, on behalf of the families.
The judge ordered that the money is paid by the government to the beneficiaries through the consolidated fund, including all costs they incurred while seeking to recover their property from the government and private developers.
Justice Ombwayo, however, directed the two families to surrender the title deed of the land to the government before they can access the compensation money awarded to them.
He further gave the government a nod to start issuing title deeds through the Lands ministry and the National Land Commission to the more than 200,000 residents, public and private facilities, who have occupied the land.
Occupants of the disputed land were relieved after the judge declined to issues an order sought by the petitioner to evict them out of the land, saying the move would expose the new landowners and other institutions to irreparable lose running into billions of shilling for their investments.
The World Bank and Uasin Gishu county government were forced to halt a Sh2 billion slum upgrading project and other development on the land eight years ago because the case was still in court.