Kenya, March 21 -- A heated land dispute in Kasarani has taken a dramatic turn, with police officers accused of unlawfully evicting a group of Korean investors despite existing court orders barring any interference with the property.

The contested land, owned by Hi Jung Oh Children's Home, has been the subject of an ongoing legal battle between the home and Life Reformation Centre, a rival entity claiming rights over the property.

Eyewitnesses report that officers from Kasarani and Marurui Police Stations arrived at the property on 20th March 2025 and began facilitating an eviction, despite the absence of any court directive authorising such an action.

The move has sparked outrage, with the owners of Hi Jung Oh Children's Home terming it a blatant violation of the rule of law.

The dispute dates back to 2022, when Hi Jung Oh Children's Home took legal action against Life Reformation Centre over what it described as an attempt to unlawfully take over the property.

In a ruling delivered on January 27, 2023, Justice O.A. Angote of the Environment and Land Court issued orders preventing the Life Reformation Centre and its associates from interfering with the premises.

These orders were reaffirmed on 16th October 2023 by Justice M.D. Mwangi, reinforcing the court's position that Hi Jung Oh Children's Home remained the legal occupant.

Despite these clear court directives, the management of the children's home now claims that rogue officers within the police service have been working in favour of the Life Reformation Centre, assisting them in taking over the property by force.

The home's legal representatives, Githogori & Harrison Associates, have since issued a formal demand letter to the Officer Commanding Station (OCS) at Kasarani, demanding an immediate halt to the eviction and the removal of trespassers.

In the strongly worded letter, the law firm accuses the OCS of not only ignoring the court's instructions but actively participating in violating them.

They allege that instead of upholding the rule of law, the police have been used as tools to undermine justice, facilitating what they term an illegal occupation of the premises by the Life Reformation Centre.

Beyond facilitating the eviction, the police are also accused of arresting employees of Hi Jung Oh Children's Home under unclear circumstances.

On 19th March 2025, several staff members were arraigned at Makadara Law Courts, facing what the children's home claims are trumped-up charges meant to intimidate them into surrendering the property.

"This is a direct affront to the judiciary and an abuse of police powers," a source close to the matter told reporters.

"If the police can openly disregard a court order and forcefully evict rightful occupants without any legal basis, what does this say about the integrity of our justice system?"

The demand letter from Githogori & Harrison Associates gives the OCS 24 hours to comply with the existing court orders by removing any illegal occupants and ceasing any further interference with the property.

The lawyers warn that failure to comply will result in contempt of court proceedings against both the OCS and the first defendant, Life Reformation Centre.

As the legal battle intensifies, the case is set for further directions on April 4, 2025, when Hi Jung Oh Children's Home is expected to push for legal action against those allegedly defying court orders.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Bana Kenya.