The Kenya African National Union (KANU) Party’s claim to the land housing the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) has been invalidated by the Environment and Lands Court in Milimani, Nairobi. On June 3, the court ruled that the acquisition of the land by the independence party was done unlawfully and in contravention of legal protocols.
Justice Jacqueline Mogeni, presiding over the case, declared the title issued to KANU in 1989 null and void, asserting that the land rightfully belongs to the government, specifically under the purview of the Ministry of Tourism.
The ruling emphasized that the allocation of the property to KANU was procedurally flawed and in violation of the law. Justice Mogeni stated, “The allocation of the property to KANU without following legal procedure is unlawful and illegal.”
KANU had initiated legal action in 2020, seeking to reclaim both the land and the KICC building after being evicted from the premises by an executive order in February 2003. In their court filings, KANU claimed that they were granted the land on May 10, 1969, by the commissioner of lands and subsequently obtained a title deed on May 25, 1989.
However, Justice Mogeni found KANU’s evidence lacking, noting the absence of proper documentation outlining the process through which public land was alienated and allocated to a political party. Furthermore, the judge determined that the commissioner of lands had exceeded their authority in the process of alienating and allocating the property to KANU.
