The Environment and Land Court in Nyandarua has ruled that Nakuru War Memorial Hospital is the rightful owner of a 25-acre parcel of land in Milimani Estate, Nakuru, in a major development in a dispute that led to the closure of the healthcare facility in January 2024.
The court ordered the Nakuru County Government to vacate the disputed property and withdraw its security officers stationed at the premises, bringing a significant development in the prolonged legal battle over the land.
The ruling comes more than two years after the county government took control of the hospital on January 23, 2024, following allegations that the institution's management had irregularly secured a 50-year extension of its land lease.
The dispute centred on the legality of the lease renewal and the ownership of the prime property in Milimani Estate, where the private healthcare facility had operated for decades.
A photo of kanjos and residents standing outside the War Memorial Hospital in Nakuru County
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Mtaa Wangu
The hospital's management challenged the county's actions in court, seeking recognition of its ownership of the land and orders restraining the county government and other parties from interfering with its operations.
In earlier proceedings, the county government disputed the validity of the hospital's lease and sought the cancellation of the title, arguing that it had been issued irregularly.
In January 2026, former Nakuru Land Registrar Eric Nyamu told the Environment and Land Court that he had cancelled the hospital's lease title because of an existing bank charge on the property. The testimony formed part of the proceedings examining the disputed land documents.
The Attorney General's office also defended the former land registrar's actions in July, with Senior State Counsel Prisca Adomeyon arguing that Nyamu had acted in good faith despite the alleged irregularity surrounding the lease renewal.
The latest court directive means that the contested piece of land now effectively reverts to the Nakuru War Memorial Hospital.
At the same time, the court has ordered Nakuru County not to interfere with the affairs of the facility.
The dispute has had significant consequences for healthcare provision in Nakuru, with the hospital remaining closed since the county government's takeover in January 2024.
The closure disrupted services at a facility that had served patients for generations and complemented other healthcare providers in the county.
An image of a court gravel
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CapitalFM