Tears, Tension and a 40-Year Land Battle: Elderly Nyakinyua Women Demand Justice in Kapseret Dispute, Call on President Ruto to Intervene

A decades-long land dispute in Kapseret Sub-county, Uasin Gishu, has resurfaced with renewed urgency as elderly members of the Nyakinyua/Wareng women’s group staged emotional protests, calling on President William Ruto to personally intervene and restore land they claim was fraudulently taken from them.

The women, many now in advanced age, say they purchased an 80-acre parcel of land in the early 1980s through collective savings, only to lose it under unclear and disputed circumstances spanning more than 40 years. The land, registered as LR No. 8492/1, was later transferred to Wareng Nyakinyua Company (2) in 1988.

Their protests were marked by grief and frustration, with some clutching faded documents as proof of ownership while recounting a painful history of displacement, broken promises, and failed attempts to secure justice.

“We have knocked on every door seeking help, but nothing has changed. Now we are crying out to the President because he is the only one left,” said Pauline Nduta Mwangi, her voice shaking with emotion. “We are old, tired, and many of us have nowhere to live. Our land was taken, and our husbands died before seeing justice.”

The group has accused Kipkaren/Kipkenyo Ward MCA David Letting, also known as Kokwas, of playing a role in the alleged invasion, subdivision, and sale of the land to third parties. However, the MCA has strongly denied the allegations, maintaining that all transactions were legal and backed by valid land titles.

According to the women, their troubles began during the ethnic clashes of the 1990s and were exacerbated during the 2007–2008 post-election violence, when they were repeatedly displaced from the land. They claim that each time they fled, new occupants moved in, eventually leading to the subdivision and sale of the property.

“Every time we were chased away, we would come back and find strangers on our land. Eventually, it was divided and sold,” said Mwangi Kamau. “Today, I am a squatter in Timboroa, yet I own land in Kapseret. How can that be justice?”

Another member, Jecinta Muthoni, described the situation as a generational injustice that has left widows and elderly women destitute.

“We invested everything we had as Nyakinyua women. We worked hard, we saved, and we bought that land together,” she said. “Now we are being told we have no claim. Are we going to die without ever stepping on our land again?”

A detailed investigation by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has added weight to the women’s claims. According to the report, the land was irregularly transferred from Wareng Nyakinyua Company (2) to Uikaro Self Help Group, an entity investigators found was not legally registered to transact land.

The DCI further established that documents used in the transfer were forged, and that the land was subsequently subdivided into more than 400 plots under Kapsaret/Kapsaret Block 12 (Uikaro), with titles issued to new owners without the consent or involvement of the original proprietors.

Investigators recommended the prosecution of individuals involved in the alleged fraud on charges including conspiracy to defraud, forgery, and unlawful acquisition of land. They also called for the cancellation of the titles issued from the disputed subdivision.

Despite these findings, the women say little progress has been made in reclaiming their land. They have submitted multiple petitions to the Ministry of Lands and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, citing constitutional protections of property rights, but claim their pleas have largely been ignored.

In response, MCA Letting has dismissed the accusations, arguing that the matter was settled through the courts years ago.

“There was a court case in Eldoret more than five years ago and it was concluded. Everyone occupying the land has a title,” he said. “I bought about 10 plots from legitimate owners under Uikaro Self Help Group. Over 300 people purchased land there. Those raising these issues are brokers who lost out.”

He added that the dispute had previously been escalated to former President Mwai Kibaki and insisted that due process had been followed in all transactions.

However, for the elderly women, the legal arguments offer little comfort. Many say they are living in poverty, some as squatters, despite having invested their life savings in the land decades ago.

Their renewed appeal now rests squarely on President William Ruto, whom they are urging to intervene and bring closure to a dispute that has outlived many of its original claimants.

“We are not asking for favors—we are asking for justice,” said Mwangi. “Let the President hear us and help us get back what rightfully belongs to us before it is too late.”

As the standoff continues, the case highlights deeper concerns over land ownership disputes, historical injustices, and the slow pace of legal redress in Kenya—issues that continue to affect vulnerable communities across the country.