Meru Magistrate wants two elderly men to settle land dispute

A court has asked two elderly men to settle a land boundary dispute that has dragged on for 19 years.

M'Arima Gatuguti, 92, sued M'Marete M'Anampiu, 87, for allegedly destroying a fence around his farm. But M'Anampiu is accusing Gatuguti of encroaching on his land and taking away eight by 125 metres.

The complainant wants his neighbour found guilty of damaging his fence but M'Anampiu maintains that the fence was illegally erected on his land.

Chief Magistrate Duke Ocharo was unhappy that the case has not been resolved since 1997 and warned the two that they were running out of time.

"I will not jail anybody because nobody has ever been jailed in Kenya for a disputed border," he said. "The problem is you don't respect surveyors. This case will drag on for the next 20 years. When you are gone, our children will still be hearing this case!"

The two provided copies of surveyor reports 'proving' ownership of the disputed plot but the magistrate ignored them, insisting instead on the need to settle the case.