The High Court in Kiambu has halted the construction of affordable housing project in Githunguri constituency, dealing a setback to President William Ruto’s flagship housing agenda.

The court issued sweeping conservatory orders that stop all development on a contested 58-acre heritage site that recently triggered protests by Kikuyu elders, who staged ritual demonstrations and clashed with police.

They said they were defending the land’s Mau Mau heritage and historical significance.

The Kiambu Law Court.

Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group

The court barred the State and its agents from “excavating, developing, alienating, or in any manner interfering” with the land and its historical features pending the hearing of a constitutional petition filed by the Kenya Unity for Memorial Pеасе Heritage and Culture Organisation.

The ruling came just days after the Environment and Land Court in Thika issued separate orders preserving the same land and stopping any construction or transfer.

In the fresh orders, the judge directed that all machinery be removed and the land restored to its previous state. He also restrained any action that could alter the character of the site.

“An order is hereby issued directed at the respondents, jointly and severally, from excavating, developing, alienating, or in any manner interfering with the land and/or historical sites,” the court ordered, underscoring the petitioner’s urgency of protecting the area.

The court further ordered the immediate removal of “all machinery, equipment, and fencing” and restoration of the “status quo ante” before the disputed activities began.

The petitioners argue the land, located at Githunguri Kiawairera, is a protected cultural and historical site linked to Kenya’s independence struggle and early African education.

Key heritage features

According to court filings, the land hosts key heritage features, including Mau Mau graves, historic gallows, and sites associated with the former Githunguri Teachers College.

They say the site was earmarked by the government for conversion into an affordable housing project without public participation or lawful heritage protection processes.

The petitioners seek declarations that the State violated multiple constitutional rights, including values, culture, equality, dignity, property, and fair administrative action.

They also want a permanent injunction stopping any housing or commercial development on the land and an order transferring it to a heritage trust for preservation. Further, they seek State-funded restoration of the site as a national monument and shrine, alongside damages, costs, and any other relief the court may grant.

The petition traces the land’s history to the 1930s, when it was acquired by Agikuyu communities to establish an indigenous institution of higher learning.

The institution later became a centre of political awakening and nationalist activity before being shut down during the 1952 State of Emergency.

Petitioners state the colonial government later turned the site into detention facilities, where Mau Mau fighters were executed, making it a place of “pain, resistance and sacrifice.”

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They also cite Gazette Notices issued in 2011 declaring parts of the land protected monuments under the National Museums and Heritage Act.

In a parallel case, the Environment and Land Court had on April 1, 2026 already ordered that the “status quo be maintained,” explicitly barring any “construction” or “alienation” of the land.

The Thika court directed that the property should not be transferred, charged, sold, or developed pending further directions, reinforcing the preservation of the site.

However, the fresh orders now escalate the legal freeze, effectively grounding the government-backed housing plan until the constitutional questions are resolved.

The High Court noted the matter has attracted “significant public interest and mainstream and social media coverage,” reflecting the broader national debate around heritage and development.

The dispute sits at the intersection of President William Ruto’s affordable housing agenda and the protection of cultural heritage sites.

President William Ruto lays the foundation stone for an affordable housing project during the launch of the Konza Technopolis in Makueni County on October 13, 2025. Looking on is PS Charles Hinga.

Photo credit: PCS

The government has been rolling out housing projects under its national plan to deliver low-cost units, often on public land.

However, several projects have faced resistance from communities citing lack of consultation, land ownership disputes, and environmental or cultural concerns.

In Githunguri, local groups and heritage organisations argue the land is not ordinary public property but a memorial landscape tied to Kenya’s liberation history.

They have held cultural events and memorial activities on the site for years, reinforcing its significance as a community heritage space.

The respondents, including the attorney-general and the Ministry of Lands, had not appeared in court during the High Court hearing.

The court said it was satisfied the applications were properly served and proceeded to grant the orders after hearing the petitioners’ counsel.

The case, which is slated for mention on April 28, 2026, will now proceed to full hearing, where the court is expected to determine whether the housing project can lawfully proceed on the contested land.

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jwangui@ke.nationmedia.com