RUIRU, Kenya- Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has assured residents of Two Rivers Crescent Estate in Ruiru, Kiambu County, that the government will act to protect their safety, property and legal rights as a long-running land ownership dispute continues.
Murkomen met residents alongside senior security officials following complaints of alleged intimidation, harassment, threats and attempts at forced eviction linked to the contested land.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Inspector General of the Kenya Police Service Eliud Lagat, Deputy Inspector General of the Administration Police Service Gilbert Masengeli and Directorate of Criminal Investigations Director Mohamed Amin.
The Interior Cabinet Secretary said the concerns raised by residents would be addressed and that appropriate action would be taken where necessary to secure their lives and property.
Lagat urged residents to remain calm and preserve peace, saying security is a shared responsibility.
Masengeli assured them of their safety, while Amin said the DCI would conduct thorough investigations into the concerns brought before the security team.
Security concerns at the centre of dispute
The Two Rivers Crescent Estate dispute has drawn public attention after residents reported alleged threats, destruction of property, interference with plot boundaries and attempted evictions.
The matter was formally raised in the Senate in June by Kiambu Senator Karungo wa Thang’wa, who asked the Senate Lands Committee to investigate the protection of property rights and security of residents at the estate.
In the request, residents said they were bona fide purchasers who acquired parcels from the estate of the late former Director of Intelligence James Kanyotu and held ownership documents.
However, the ownership and occupation of some parcels have been challenged by Willy Kihara Njoki Kanyotu, who has maintained that he is a beneficiary of the late Kanyotu’s estate and has questioned the legality of some past land transactions.
The competing claims have created uncertainty for residents, many of whom have built homes on the disputed plots.
Their complaints have focused not only on ownership but also on whether they can live peacefully on the land while court cases and investigations continue.
Murkomen follows up Senate undertaking
The Ruiru meeting follows Murkomen’s appearance before the Senate Committee on Land, Environment and Natural Resources last week, when he pledged government intervention over the residents’ security concerns.
At the time, the Cabinet Secretary said the State had a duty to protect lives and property regardless of competing ownership claims. He also sought time to visit the estate and prepare a comprehensive report for the committee.
The presence of both Deputy Inspectors General and the DCI Director signals an escalation of the government’s security response to complaints raised by the affected homeowners.
It also places the focus on investigating allegations of intimidation, destruction, trespass or any attempted unlawful eviction, separate from the central question of who holds valid title to the land.
The Senate inquiry has been allowed to continue, but the High Court has made clear that Parliament cannot take over the role of the courts in determining title, ownership or succession issues.
In September, the court allowed the Senate committee to examine broader public-interest matters, including alleged threats, the handling of complaints by security agencies and the status of land records.
However, it cautioned the committee against making a conclusive finding on ownership while related cases remain before the courts.
