ILRI cries foul over grabbed land

Livestock at a watering hole. ILRI says its ranch in Kapiti plains, Machakos, has thousands of animals including 2,500 Borana cattle (File, Standard)

A global livestock research firm headquartered in Kenya has raised the red flag over reports of the grabbing of its land in Machakos County.

The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) said that portions of its 13,000 hectare spread in Kapiti plains are being parcelled out and sold illegally.

“These illegal land sales have escalated in the last several weeks and are depriving people in Machakos County and the rest of the country of their hard-earned money,” said ILRI Director General Jimmy Smith.

ILRI, which holds four titles deeds to the property, said the land was acquired in 1987 to serve as a base for conducting controlled livestock research and serves not only Kenya but also the African and Asian regions. 

“The illegal sales are also threatening long-term research work supporting millions of small-scale farmers and herders in Kenya and abroad,” said Mr Smith.

ILRI further said the ranch is home to several research animals including 2,500 Borana cattle, 1,200 sheep, and 250 Galla goats, which are native to northern Kenya, as well as wildlife that have been drawn to the sanctuary owing to human development.

“By disrupting work at Kapiti, the illegal trespassing and irregular structures that are emerging could prove costly to average Kenyans, including many people in Machakos who depend on their livestock for food and income,” said Romano Kiome, a former director of the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation, formerly known as KARI.

“We are appealing to authorities to put an immediate stop to these activities so as to protect both Kenyan household savings and Kenyan livestock assets.”

This is the third time this year ILRI has expressed concern over reports of land grabbing in Kapiti. It is the second high-profile land case along the prime strip of land along Mombasa road straddling Machakos and Kajiado counties.

Kenya’s oldest cement manufacturer, East African Portland Cement Company, is currently locked in a protracted court case with private developers in Machakos County over encroachment on the firm’s Sh17 billion prime land in Athi River and Kibini areas.

The firm earlier this year reported that the encroachment has eroded more than Sh2 billion in property value, with the court case denying the company the chance to conduct any development on the property.

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