Moiben Land Dispute: Families Cry Foul Over Alleged Intimidation as Records Affirm Registered Ownership

Hubz Media Reporter 

Tension remains high in Moiben, Uasin Gishu County, as seven families occupying a 19-hectare parcel of land allege intimidation, destruction of crops, and threats of forceful eviction, even as official land records point to a legally registered owner following a structured transfer process.

The affected residents, who claim to have purchased portions of the land decades ago, say they are now living in fear after a series of incidents involving unknown individuals who allegedly invaded the farms and sprayed chemicals that destroyed sections of maize crops. The matter has been reported at Kamukunji Police Station in Soy Sub-County under OB number 27/19/3/2026.

“We are living in fear. We are asking for the government to protect us from the ongoing intimidation,” said Lillian Moding, one of the residents.

Francis Kosgei, who says he has lived on the land for over 40 years, questioned the push to remove them, maintaining that they acquired their portions from the late Jackton Oloo Wangira.

“We have stayed here for years—over 40 years. I have even buried my mother on this land. Why are they chasing us out? We bought this land from Wangira, who is now deceased,” he said.

Kosgei further described incidents he termed as deliberate intimidation, alleging that individuals recently blocked access to his home.

“They sprayed Chemonges’ farm and parts of our farms. Our livestock would have died. On Sunday, they came with a tipper lorry and poured huge rocks on a path towards my house. We can’t access it. They are intimidating us out. We are all living in fear, and the police in this area have not been of any help to us,” he added.

Other residents, including Llyne Kosgei and Carolyne Biwott, said they have lived on the farms for over three decades but are now facing possible displacement.

The dispute has also drawn the attention of Eldoret-based human rights activists led by Kimutai Kirui of the Centre Against Torture and Juma Akumu, who are demanding investigations into the conduct of a police officer allegedly captured on video brandishing a firearm and threatening civilians in connection with the land row. The officer, identified as Moses Ledama, is at the centre of the activists’ calls for accountability, with Kirui terming the incident a serious abuse of power that must be addressed.

Kimutai Kirui addresses the media in Moiben, Uasin Gishu County, condemning alleged intimidation of residents and calling for investigations into the destruction of farms and threats linked to the ongoing land dispute.

“This is a clear case of abuse of power. No police officer should threaten unarmed civilians. We are demanding immediate investigations and action against the officer involved,” said Kirui.

At the centre of the conflict is a protracted legal and administrative process surrounding the ownership of the land. Martin Chemonges Siwa, one of the claimants, maintains that he secured court orders relating to part of the land following an appeal filed in 2024 against Mary Nabwire Bwire and James Wafula Wangira. He argues that the orders, including a mandatory injunction issued by the Environment and Land Court, have not been fully enforced on the ground.

“I went to court and obtained lawful orders to protect my interest in this land, but what we are seeing on the ground is a complete disregard of those directives,” said Chemonges.

However, official records from the Uasin Gishu Lands Registry present a clear ownership trail that contrasts with the claims by some of the occupants. The land was originally held by the Settlement Fund Trustees in the 1990s before being purchased in 2015 by the late Jackton Oloo Wangira. Following his death, the property was lawfully transmitted through a succession process between 2015 and 2016 to Mary Nabwire Bwire and James Wafula Wangira.

Subsequent entries in the land register show that a caution lodged in 2019 was legally removed by the registrar, while a restriction placed by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations in November 2020 was later lifted through a court order issued on November 16, 2021, by a court in Eldoret. The land was eventually closed upon subdivision in 2025, culminating in the registration of Walter Obonyo Ogola, a director at the Kenya Airports Authority, as the current legal owner.

Human rights activists have nonetheless questioned the process through which the caution and restriction were lifted, accusing the lands registry of overstepping its mandate and calling for investigations into the administrative decisions surrounding the parcel. They argue that the sequence of events raises concerns about the protection of occupants and the integrity of land governance processes.

Despite the clarity in official records regarding ownership, the families occupying the land insist they are bona fide purchasers and have appealed to the government to intervene, halt any evictions, and investigate what they describe as the misuse of police authority to intimidate them.