On November 18, 2025, the National Land Commission (NLC) has recommended to Kakuzi Plc the surrender of 3,200 acres as a final settlement on any land claims against it. Kakuzi Plc, formerly known as Kakuzi Fibreland Limited, is one of Kenya’s most prominent agricultural enterprises.
The firm has evolved from a producer of traditional crops such as sisal, citrus, passion fruit, and pineapples into a diversified agribusiness specializing in high-value superfoods for close to a century. It is currently recognized as a leading grower, processor, and exporter of avocados, macadamia nuts, tea, and emerging crops like blueberries.
Despite its commercial success (2024 revenue = KES 4.8 billion), Kakuzi Plc faces adverse scrutiny over historical land ownership and alleged human rights abuse. Its land holdings date back to the early colonial period, from 1902 to 1966, when British settlers acquired vast tracts of land through legal mechanisms and coercive laws such as the Crown Lands Ordinance of 1902 and 1915.
These policies displaced indigenous communities, many of whom were forced into squatter settlements. Organized community groups have continued challenging the firm’s claim to disputed parcels including LR10731 and LR11674 seeking the return of approximately 16,000 acres to address these historical injustices.
A major point of contention involves the firm’s refusal to surrender the master title deed for LR10731. This refusal has prevented residents and public institutions located on the land including schools, a chief’s office, a hospital, and several trading centers from obtaining individual title deeds. Without legal tenure, these institutions cannot secure development funding, upgrade infrastructure, or guarantee land rights to future generations.
NLC Recommendations
The NLC has been actively investigating these disputes. In 2019, the NLC recommended stopping the renewal of Kakuzi’s land leases until disputes were resolved. The Environment and Land Court (ELC) later overturned this order, but the questions surrounding the legitimacy of the company’s land rights persist. More recently, Kakuzi has challenged NLC’s recommendation to surrender 3,200 acres, describing the directive as adverse and unconstitutional.
NLC recommended that Kakuzi surrenders 3,200 acres to affected communities, and the company is currently facing operations risk with the potential loss of a substantial portion of its 32,900-acre land base in Murang’a county. The company argues that accepting the recommendation would set an example for arbitrary land expropriation and undermine private property rights protected by the constitution.
The Managing Director, Chris Flowers, stated that challenging the NLC’s position is necessary to prevent the erosion of the constitutional right to property and to protect the interests of their 3,400 employees and 1,400 investors. The firm believes it has a reasonable chance of successfully defending the claims lodged at the NLC.
The company has extensive land holdings for its agricultural operations and is listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE), trading under the KUKZ ticker symbol, and on the London Stock Exchange, trading under the KAKU symbol. As of market close on 20th November 2025, the counter was trading at KES 388.50 a share at the NSE, representing a marginal gain of 0.91% Year-To-Date.
Also Read: Kakuzi Posts KES 130 Million Loss on Plunging Avocado Exports
