Hundreds of residents in Athi River, Machakos County, are facing imminent eviction after the Kenya Meat Commission (KMC) issued a 14-day vacation notice on Wednesday, May 7, 2025. The notice, signed by KMC’s Managing Commissioner, orders occupants of Land LR NO: 10281 in Mavoko division to vacate or face forcible removal.
The decision follows a July 2024 judgment by Machakos Environment and Land Court (ELC) in case ELC/227/2017, where Justice A. Nyakuru ruled in favor of KMC in a long-standing land ownership dispute against an individual claimant. The court declared KMC the legal and beneficial owner of the approximately 20 to 25-acre land parcel, which stretches from Njuguini to Slota villages.
According to the eviction notice, the initial 90-day grace period granted by the court expired on October 10, 2024. Despite this, many residents have remained on the land, building private homes and rental units. KMC warns that failure to comply with the new 14-day ultimatum will result in eviction “at your risk as to damage and loss.”
The notice has heightened anxiety among affected residents and local leaders, as it comes in the wake of recent demolitions in nearby areas. Just last month, residents in Katani, Mlolongo division, were forcefully evicted in a night operation that left many homeless and their property destroyed.
KMC’s land is adjacent to the East African Portland Cement Company property, where mass evictions in 2023 also caused widespread displacement and destruction. The latest notice has revived fears of similar violent demolitions.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen recently condemned rampant land grabbing in Machakos, saying it threatens public order and deprives rightful landowners of their property. He noted that syndicates often sell public land to unsuspecting buyers who later suffer state-led evictions.
Currently managed by the Kenya Defence Forces under the Ministry of Defence, KMC has emphasized it will proceed with the eviction if the land is not vacated by May 22, 2025. Local leaders are calling for urgent intervention to prevent a humanitarian crisis.
