NAIROBI,Kenya Sep 18 – A fresh survey is expected to determine the disputed boundaries of the Galana-Kulalu Ranch in Kilifi County after Parliament gave the Director of Surveys two months to complete the long-delayed exercise involving the Agricultural Development Corporation (ADC) and neighbouring communities.
The National Assembly Committee on Implementation issued the directive on Thursday, ordering Country Director of Surveys Weldon Maritim to bring together ADC, the National Land Commission (NLC), the Kilifi County Government and representatives of the affected Waata and Giriama communities to establish the boundaries.
The committee, chaired by Budalangi MP Raphael Wanjala, said the exercise should be completed by November 17, 2026, noting that an earlier deadline set by Parliament had already lapsed.
“We must conclude this exercise before we go for elections. It is clear from the recommendations of the Lands Committee that the period given to conclude this exercise has elapsed,” Wanjala said.
He directed the stakeholders to move with speed and report back to the committee on November 17.
Kajiado Central MP Elijah Memusi backed the directive, urging the Director of Surveys to take charge of the exercise and involve security agencies to ensure the process is conducted without disruption.
“Let the Director of Survey take the lead; Parliament has no time to play games. We are a House of records, and our recommendations must be done,” Memusi said.
The dispute dates back to a petition presented to Parliament in 2021 by then-Magarini MP Michael Kingi on behalf of community landowners from Kilifi and Tana River counties.
The petition raised concerns over what the community described as an irregular extension of the Galana Ranch boundary and alleged encroachment on ancestral land.
The Lands Committee subsequently recommended a repeat boundary-picking exercise involving ADC, the Kilifi County Government, the NLC and representatives of the affected communities.
According to the committee’s report, the exercise was intended to establish the boundary between Galana-Kulalu Ranch, identified as ADC 1 FR. 119/86, and the neighbouring Adu Kamale and Adu Chamari adjudication sections. Parliament gave the agencies six months to undertake the exercise after the report was tabled, but the deadline was not met.
The parliamentary record also shows that the original petition was formally presented to the National Assembly on March 11, 2021, with the petitioners arguing that the Galana ranching land had historically been occupied by the Waata and Giriama communities before the colonial period.
During Thursday’s meeting in Malindi, community representatives maintained that the disputed land formed part of their ancestral territory and said they were willing to work with the Director of Surveys and the NLC to resolve the matter.
The ADC representative, however, maintained that the corporation holds the title to the land and said it was ready to participate in the process.
“We have the title to this land. We are ready to work with all agencies involved and the community to settle the stalemate on the boundaries of this public land,” the representative said.
The NLC called for a peaceful resolution of the dispute, with Njoro MP Charity Kathambi and Mombasa Woman Representative Zamzam Mohammed also urging the affected communities to maintain peace as the process gets underway.
The fresh survey comes after previous parliamentary efforts to resolve the dispute stalled. In 2025, the Committee on Implementation also raised concerns over delays in implementing Parliament’s recommendations on the Galana-Kulalu boundary dispute.
The committee is scheduled to revisit the matter on November 18, a day after the deadline given to the Director of Surveys and other stakeholders.
