A deepening dispute over land ownership between a British-owned tea company and a local community in Kenya’s Rift Valley is drawing attention to long-standing grievances over colonial-era land seizures and sparking broader concerns for the future of the country’s tea sector.
Residents of the Kimasas community have occupied over 350 acres of tea-rich land on the Sitoi estate, claiming ancestral ties and citing a 1986 land donation from Eastern Produce Kenya (EPK). EPK, a subsidiary of UK-based Camellia Plc, disputes the size of the land transfer, maintaining that only 202 acres were legally gifted.
Daniel Biwott, chairman of the Kimasas farmers’ cooperative, says the community is reclaiming what was originally theirs. “Our ancestors lived and worked on this land long before it was taken. We believe this is the moment to correct that historical injustice,” he said.
The confrontation, which has seen locals settle, graze livestock, and harvest tea on the contested estate, is only the latest in a string of land disputes affecting Kenya’s tea heartlands. Earlier this year, another plantation, operated by a Sri Lankan firm, was vandalized, reflecting growing tensions around foreign-owned estates.
Industry stakeholders are raising the alarm. The Kenya Tea Growers Association warned that such land invasions could destabilize an industry that contributes nearly a quarter of Kenya’s export earnings and supports millions of livelihoods.
EPK claims it’s losing over $200,000 monthly due to the standoff and has condemned what it sees as politically motivated encroachment. The company obtained a court order to evict the occupiers, but enforcement has been weak, with squatters returning and incidents of violence reported.
The roots of the conflict stretch back to the colonial period, when vast swathes of fertile land were appropriated by British settlers. Though Kenya’s 2010 constitution aimed to address historical land injustices, including by reducing land leases from 999 years to 99, critics say reforms have been piecemeal and lack enforcement.
Former National Land Commission (NLC) commissioner Samuel Tororei blames weak mandates and collusion between plantation companies and political elites for the slow progress. “The state has not used its leverage to ensure communities benefit from the land that was once theirs,” he said.
Legal efforts to reclaim land have largely stalled. Laws limiting the timeframe for such claims, combined with official immunities, have constrained court action, according to a 2021 UN report. Frustrated by legal roadblocks, some communities have resorted to direct action.
EPK insists the dispute concerns a voluntary donation, not colonial appropriation. The company challenged the NLC’s 2019 determination that the full 550 acres belong to Kimasas, alleging forged evidence. While the case remains in court, tensions have simmered. In January, a company vehicle was attacked, and employees were injured.
“This situation, if left unchecked, risks creating a precedent where land disputes escalate beyond control,” warned EPK general manager Peter Goin. “We must defend the rule of law.”
Authorities have been criticized for failing to act. Police reportedly did not enforce the court order, and prosecutors have refrained from charging individuals involved, citing the ongoing civil case.
Biwott, however, defends the community’s actions. “There is no final ruling. Until there is, we see this as our land.”
As Kenya navigates its post-colonial identity, the clash in Nandi highlights the unresolved scars of land ownership — and the growing pressure on companies to reconcile business interests with historical accountability.