Senator Chemitei sued over 5-acre land dispute

Chemitei sworn in as new Baringo Senator. December 2, 2025. [Courtesy, Parliament/Meta]

Baringo Senator Kiprono Chemitei has been sued over allegations of forcefully invading a five-acre parcel of land in Mochongoi, Baringo County, which his late father is said to have sold.

In a suit filed before a Baringo court, Anthony Kiplagat claims the senator unlawfully entered the land on March 23, 2026, cultivated it, and planted crops, effectively locking him out of property he says he legally purchased more than a decade ago.

Kiplagat maintains that he is the rightful owner, having bought the land from the senator’s late father, Cheburet Chemitei, through a series of agreements in 2012 at a total cost of Sh1.25 million.

According to Kiplagat, he was granted possession after making full payment and went on to extensively develop the land, including constructing his matrimonial home and planting trees.

According to court documents, Kiplagat enjoyed peaceful occupation of the property until 2020, when the senator and some of his siblings allegedly began attempts to reclaim the land.

He accuses the senator of repeated invasions over the years. In 2020 and again in 2021, Kiplagat alleges that the senator and his brothers forcefully took over about two and a half acres, cultivated it, and planted crops. Efforts to resolve the matter through police intervention reportedly yielded little success, with the dispute persisting.

In 2024, the conflict escalated further when the senator allegedly sprayed chemicals on Kiplagat’s maize crop, destroying it. A crop assessment report cited in the suit places the value of the damage at Sh827,000.

The dispute is also said to have taken a political turn in August 2025, when the senator allegedly used the land as a venue for a campaign rally without Kiplagat’s consent. Kiplagat further claims that a temporary iron-sheet structure was erected on the land.

Kiplagat states that in January 2026, the senator invited him for a meeting in an attempt to repurchase the land. However, the negotiations collapsed after the senator reportedly offered to refund only the original purchase price paid in 2012, which Kiplagat rejected, arguing that the land’s value had significantly appreciated.

He further alleges that in February 2026, the senator, through a local chief, issued threats warning him to accept the offer or face consequences, including forceful repossession of the land.

The situation culminated in the March 23 incident, which Kiplagat describes as a forceful takeover. He claims the senator and his agents moved onto the land, cultivated it, and began planting, actions he says continue to date.

Kiplagat argues that the senator was fully aware of the original land transactions and was even involved in parts of the process. He adds that all outstanding balances were cleared, including payments made after the death of the seller in 2015 through family representatives.

He contends that despite this, the senator and his family have persistently disputed the acreage and attempted to reclaim the land.

Kiplagat now fears losing not only his land but also his home and investments. He says the continued invasions and threats have caused him distress and insecurity, forcing him at times to abandon parts of the property out of fear for his safety and that of his family.

In the suit, he is seeking court orders to restrain the senator from further trespass, protect his ownership rights, and prevent what he terms as an unlawful eviction.

The magistrate's court in Kabarnet directed that the case be mentioned before a court in Marigat where the subject matter falls.

The case will be mentioned on April 21, 2026, for directions.