Family takes Catholic Church to court over land dispute

The Catholic Church is embroiled in a tussle over land with a family in West Pokot. The two parties are fighting over a piece of land that was reserved for construction of an airstrip in 1964.

Head of the Catholic Church in Kenya, John Cardinal Njue, and Kitale Diocese Bishop Maurice Anthony Crowley, have been accused of failing to return the 12 acres back to the Ortum community.

Led by Enos Lomole and Moses Cheparer, the family went to court seeking to have the Church leaders compelled to produce the ownership documents in court.

Mr Lomole stated in his suit that failure to comply, the Church should be charged with a criminal offence.

Lomole said the land in dispute was given out by a missionary, Paliat Sekerin, who wanted to build an airstrip that was to be used by doctors who could not access villages by road. Lomole further told the court that he inherited the land in 1986 from his great-grandfather (the missionary), who died in 1977.

Lomole said before his grandfather died, he told his two sons that the land should go back to the community. In a joint suit filed by Lomole, Chepare, Joseph Gitonga and Gumzo Club, he stated that the land was not used for the intended purpose and should revert back to the community as was instructed.

High Court judge George Odunga directed that the matter be heard on June 3.