Court Dismisses Del Monte Petition Against National Assembly Committees -

Court Dismisses Del Monte Petition Against National Assembly Committees

The Environment and Land Court in Murang’a has dismissed a petition filed by Del Monte Kenya Limited challenging a series of parliamentary committee reports recommending the repossession and redistribution of some of its vast land holdings in Murang’a and Kiambu counties.

In a judgment delivered virtually on September 30, 2025, Justice M.N. Gicheru ruled that the National Assembly acted within its constitutional mandate in entertaining petitions from Kandara Residents Association over the ownership and renewal of leases on parcels of land occupied by the food processor.

Del Monte, Kenya’s largest pineapple producer and exporter, had sought to quash three parliamentary reports dated 2019, 2021, and 2023, arguing that the proceedings violated its constitutional rights, including the right to a fair hearing, protection of property, and equality before the law.

The company further accused the National Assembly of overstepping its mandate by purporting to adjudicate land disputes, a function it insisted was reserved for the courts under Article 162(2)(b) of the Constitution.

Del Monte, which employs over 6,500 workers and has significant investments in factories, housing, schools, clinics, and irrigation infrastructure on its land, contended that the committees ignored existing court rulings that had previously quashed a National Land Commission determination on the same parcels.

However, Justice Gicheru dismissed the claims, holding that under Article 95 of the Constitution, the National Assembly has authority to deliberate on issues of public concern and to consider petitions brought under Article 119. He further found that the petitions before Parliament did not offend the doctrine of sub judice despite ongoing court cases, as they concerned matters of lease renewal and boundary determination — processes legally under the purview of the Ministry of Lands, County Governments, and the National Land Commission.

“The authority of the National Assembly to deliberate and resolve issues of concern to the people is unlimited and includes resolution of land disputes,” the judge ruled, adding that Del Monte had failed to prove on a balance of probabilities that its constitutional rights had been violated.

The court also noted inconsistencies in the company’s position, with parliamentary records showing that one of its directors had previously acquiesced to a resurvey of the land, even as the company later alleged it was ambushed.

As a result, the amended petition filed on March 27, 2024 was dismissed with costs awarded to Kandara Residents Association, which had been listed as an interested party.

The ruling marks yet another twist in the long-running land dispute involving Del Monte, the National Assembly, and residents of Murang’a and Kiambu, who have for years claimed historical injustices over the vast pineapple plantations.