The high court ruling on October 22 by Lady Justice Roslyn Nambuye over the said piece of land automatically makes them squatters on the company’s land which the company claims it acquired in 1987. According to Jane Weru of Muungano wa Wanakijiji- an Umbrella body that fights for the rights of people living in slums about 75 percent of the 92.2 acres that is claimed by Orbit is occupied by the slum.

The Assistant Chief of the area John Githae asserted that if the company moves to repossess the land, more than 300,000 people will be left homeless. “The government should seek for alternative land to settle the residents in order to avoid a housing crisis,” he said.

Dominique Munoki, who runs a car hire and car wash business in the area, will have to seek for alternative means to repay a 1 million shillings loan he borrowed from a bank last year to start his business if the company decided to evict the residents whom it classified as squatters in the legal suit. “We are just ordinary wananchi and do not have the financial muscle to fight back in court so we will just wait and see what happens next.” He said when the Ghetto Mirror visited the area.

Njoroge Gatuki said that he is not happy with the court order handing the land to the Orbit Chemical. He accuses the government for causing that confusion in the first place. The gove in the area is very unhappy with the turn of events and says the buck stops with the government. “First the government should see how to compensate the people who have put up businesses in the area as they may have been duped to buying the land and then consider those children who will not have schools to go to.” She said.

The company has indicated that it wants to repossess the land and put it into use and it maintains that the people living there are squatters and should not be surprised when evicted.From page 1 However the slum residents, through the Muungano wa Wanakijiji organisation are planning to move to court to counter the move by the high court. The organisation claims that the residents have a right over the said piece of land considering the time they have stayed there. City Lawyer Wambui Wairua says if a squatter remains on a piece of land for at least

12 years with the knowledge of the true owner and without any interference from such owner, that squatter can claim to have title to the land and be recognised by law as the true owner of the specific piece he has been on through adverse possession.