Court maintains status quo in disputed Paradise Lost land

In orders issued at the High Court in Thika on April 30, 2026, before Justice J. M. Onyango, the court directed that the status quo obtaining on the disputed parcels of land — formerly known as 5974/1, 5972/2, 5971 and 7042, now registered as L.R. No. 13315 and 13318 — be maintained until the application before the court is heard and determined.

The court further ordered that there shall be no dealings on the property or on the land register relating to the suit land pending the outcome of the application.

In a move aimed at establishing the current occupation of the disputed property, the Deputy Registrar of the court was directed to visit the land and file a report within 14 days indicating who owns the parcels and the resultant subdivisions.

The High Court also directed the OCS Kiambu Police Station to oversee the implementation and enforcement of the court orders, while the Land Registrar Kiambu was ordered to be served with the ruling.

The matter is scheduled for mention on May 21, 2026.

Last month, the owners, through their lawyers Danstan Omari and Duncan Okatch, publicly claimed they have owned the property since 1929 and accused unknown individuals of attempting to unlawfully take it over.

Isaack Gichiab said the land, measuring over 200 acres, has a long ownership history dating back to 1929 when their father allegedly acquired it through a bank loan.