The family owns 30,000 acres in Taita Taveta
Benson Wanyonyi and Simo Mulaki had moved to court on behalf of over 20,000 squatters who have lived on the expansive Gicheha farm since 1974.
Gicheha farm, which is owned by the President's family, occupies about 33,000 acres.
Deputy President William Ruto had last year given about a thousand title deeds to some of the squatters after the President's family donated 2,300 acres.
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The squatters, however, protested stating that the division would cause some of them to be evicted from the land they have occupied for more than forty years.
The judge granted a temporary order blocking,Gicheha farm,Basil Criticos and National land commission,the director of land adjudication,chief land registrar and county government of Taita Taveta from evicting,demolishing or interfering with the land possessed by the applicants.
“It is hereby ordered that an injunction be and is hereby granted directing that the 1st defendant and or his agents be stopped from demolishing, evicting and in any way interfering with the applicants possession of the portion of land.
“If any person(s) served with this order disobeys the same, he or she shall be cited for contempt and may be punished by a fine and or imprisonment for six (6) months or both,” the order read in part.
During the 2013 presidential debate, then presidential candidate Uhuru Kenyatta admitted that his family owned 33,000 acres in Taita Taveta but added that the land was legally acquired on a willing buyer-willing seller basis.
