Fear and silence at Ruiru’s Sh10billion Imani Estate as eviction threats defy court orders

Tension is mounting at the sprawling 600-acre Imani Estate in Ruiru, Kiambu County, where nearly 1,000 families say they are living in fear amid looming eviction threats, alleged police inaction, and a protracted legal battle over ownership of the prime Sh10billion property.

The estate, located along the Ruiru–Githunguri Road, has become the centre of a bitter land dispute involving the family of the late intelligence chief James Kanyotu, developers, and hundreds of homeowners who bought plots and constructed high-end residences over the past decade.

The conflict escalated last year after the High Court ruled that the land still belongs to Kanyotu’s family, nullifying subsequent transactions.

Despite that ruling, residents later obtained a stay order preserving the status quo and barring any evictions until the matter is fully heard and determined.

However, estate residents now claim that the court order is being openly undermined.

According to the residents, surveyors accompanied by armed men wielding crude weapons have been seen moving around the estate with bulldozers, raising fears of imminent demolitions. They allege the presence of the goons signals an attempt to forcibly reclaim the land despite the existing stay orders.

“We suspect there is a move to demolish our homes even with a High Court stay order in place,” said residents’ chairman Kamande Ndung’u, adding that strangers have been surveying the land under armed guard for several days.

Residents accuse Ruiru police of ignoring their complaints and, instead, harassing and arresting estate occupants who attempt to resist or report the activities. They claim local officers have effectively taken sides in the dispute, leaving families exposed and fearful.

“Our pleas have been ignored. Instead of protecting us, police have been arresting our members,” Ndung’u said. He and other residents are now demanding the transfer of senior police officers in the area, alleging compromise and bias.

Another resident, Mugo Kandiri, said most occupants purchased their plots as early as 2012 and invested heavily in residential developments. He accused police of usurping the role of the courts by allegedly determining ownership on the ground, despite pending litigation.

Efforts to obtain a response from Ruiru sub-county police commander Charles Kibathi were unsuccessful, as he declined to answer calls or respond to messages.

The land dispute is rooted in a complex succession battle over the estate of James Kanyotu. The property was previously registered under Kangaita Coffee Estate Limited, in which Kanyotu was the majority shareholder.

Administrators of the estate have repeatedly warned the public against buying or developing the land, insisting that court orders issued as early as 2010 barred any transactions.

In a landmark ruling delivered on July 10, 2025, Environment and Land Court Judge Oguttu Mboya declared all subsequent sales of the land illegal, null and void.

The court found that despite clear succession orders prohibiting dealings, the land was irregularly sold to Trendsetters Investments Limited for Sh700million, later transferred to Marriott Africa International Limited for Sh750million, and eventually passed to Ukombozi Holdings Limited.

However, individuals and businesses already settled on the land successfully obtained a stay order suspending Justice Mboya’s ruling pending further court proceedings. That stay order legally prevents evictions or alterations to the status quo.

As the legal process drags on, residents say the real battle is now being fought on the ground, where fear, intimidation, and silence from authorities have replaced the rule of law. The unfolding situation raises serious questions about enforcement of court orders, police neutrality in land disputes, and the protection of property rights in one of Kenya’s most lucrative real estate corridors.