The 30 Year Battle for Karnanin Farm in Moiben
William Kiptoo
For more than three decades, a 1,300 acre farm in the Karnanin area of Moiben Sub County in Uasin Gishu County has been at the center of a major land dispute involving the family of the late Earnest Sum, hundreds of residents, and institutions linked to the Catholic Church.
The disputed property, estimated to be worth about Ksh 1.5 billion, became the subject of a prolonged legal battle after individuals and institutions settled on the land following the death of the owner in 1990.
The land, located in the wider Eldoret East area of Moiben, originally belonged to Earnest Sum, widely known in the area as “Mzee” Sum. After his death, his widow, Veronicah Sum, was appointed as the sole administrator of his estate.
According to the family, occupation of the land began gradually during the 1990s as families moved onto the farm and institutions established structures on different sections of the property.
Among the institutions mentioned in the dispute is the Eldoret Catholic Diocese. Several residents stated that the church resettled vulnerable families on the land in the early 1990s.
Angela Oloo, a 75 year old resident, said she was among more than 30 homesteads settled there by the church in 1994 after being identified as needy families requiring land for settlement.
Another resident, 85 year old Christopher Sila, said many families believed the church had legally acquired the land before they were allowed to settle there.
Over time, permanent homes were built and institutions such as St. Vincent Day School and St. Vincent Catholic Church, also referred to locally as Karnanin Parish, were established on the property.
The Sum family later challenged the occupation in court, maintaining that the land had been invaded unlawfully. Family members said the dispute made it difficult for them to manage or use the farm.
Edel Sum, one of Earnest Sum’s daughters, said trees on the property had been cut down, fences destroyed, and livestock grazed on the farm without the family’s permission.
The case was eventually heard at the High Court in Eldoret, which ruled in favor of the Sum family. The court issued eviction orders against the individuals and institutions occupying the land, including St. Vincent Day School and St. Vincent Catholic Church.
According to the court proceedings, the occupants and institutions named in the case were unable to produce documents proving ownership of the land.
The ruling marked the latest development in one of the most notable land disputes in Moiben Sub County, involving hundreds of occupants and a property that has remained contested for decades.
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