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EAPC gives squatters 30 days to pay for plots or vacate
A Google Earth satellite image showing part of the settled section at the East African Portland Cement property in Mavoko in 2024 following demolitions that happened in October 2023.
East African Portland Cement (EAPC) has given squatters occupying its Sh4.6 billion land 30 days to pay for the plots to regularise their ownership or vacate.
The company has asked persons with claims to the land to pay all amounts owed by August 15, 2026, as it ends the exercise to legalise land ownership by the squatters on July 28.
The cement manufacturer is expected to offer all unclaimed plots within the 909 acres parcel for sale to the public at market rates at the lapse of the notice period.
“Having undergone through the regularization exercise since October 17, 2023, the company wishes to notify the general public that the period of the regularization shall close on July 28, 2026,” EAPC said in a notice on Wednesday.
“Those who participated in the exercise are therefore notified to pay all regularisation amounts by the said August 15, 2026, to enable us progress to tilting. Those who shall not have paid the regularisation amount are informed and required to vacate any plots they may be occupying forthwith.”
Payments for the regularised land payments are to be made to HFCB Properties Limited, which has served as a consultant for the exercise.
The company has been on a long process to regularise its land since 2023, which is registered under LR 8784/144, 8784/145 and 8784/653, measuring 909 acres which has been heavily populated with informal settlers.
These parcels have been held as investment property by the company and categorised as assets held for sale.
EAPC valued the land at Sh4.65 billion as at June 2024.
The company highlighted a total of 7,136 landholdings for disposal as of mid-2024 while 3,492 parcels were allocated to squatters who successfully met registration and deposit conditions.
A further 1,507 parcels were set aside for staff debt repayment, of which 251 parcels were offered to eligible staff members for the purpose.
EAPC noted that 2,127 parcels remained available for disposal through public bidding.
Auditor General Nancy Gathungu argued previously that the realisation of assets held for sale is dependent on the acceptance of settlement of offers to informal settlers.
“The management asserts that the eviction cost would be or were likely to be substantial and opted for regularization of ownership by disposing the property to the current occupants at market rates,” Ms Gathungu said.
“As at the time of the audit, the company commenced the ownership regularization process, and some settlers had applied for allocation and paid deposit towards the acquisition of the occupied property.”
KCB Group finds itself in a similar position, as it seeks to unlock an estimated Sh7 billion from the disposal of 2,000 acres recovered from EAPC.
The land is also currently occupied by squatters including households, and businesses such as hotels and warehouses.
EAPC reached a deal with KCB to give up the land, in exchange for the settlement of a Sh6.8 billion loan.
The land had been invaded by squatters long before the pact was reached with KCB in 2019.
