ILRI purchased an advertisement in the Kenyan newspaper, The Standard, which appeared on Saturday, 27 October 2018. The text of the advertisement was as follows:
CAVEAT EMPTOR
“BUYER BEWARE”
TAKE NOTICE THAT KAPITI PLAINS ESTATE LIMITED (A PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY WHOLLY OWNED BY THE INTERNATIONAL LIVESTOCK RESEARCH INSTITUTE – ILRI) is the registered proprietor of all those four parcels of land known as registration numbers: L.R. No. 7374/4, L.R. No. 8332, L.R. No. 1731/1 and L.R. No. 9918/4 situated in Machakos County.
It has come to the attention of KAPITI PLAINS ESTATE LIMITED (KAPITI) that various individuals and entities, including the MAKONZA SOCIETY, KAMULU SELF HELP GROUP, THE NEW KONZA RANCH ASSOCIATION, KIMUTWA WELFARE ASSOCIATION and other entities, are fraudulently asserting ownership and/or are attempting unlawfully to claim land from KAPITI PLAINS ESTATE LIMITED.
KAPITI advises members of the public not to make payments to or engage with any such entities or their agents or proxies.
KAPITI further advises the public that the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions is directing an investigation to ensure that the persons responsible for such illegal acts are promptly brought to justice. As advised by the Director of Public Prosecutions in his press statement dated 22 October 2018, members of the public who are approached by any of these entities or who have fallen victim to their alleged fraudulent behavior should contact the Directorate of Criminal Investigations.
TAKE NOTICE that any purported allotment, subdivision, survey, buying or selling, construction upon, or dealings in connection with the said parcels of land in any manner HOWSOEVER without KAPITI PLAINS ESTATE LIMITED consent is unlawful, illegal, fraudulent and further amounts to trespass.
TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that any person (s) purchasing the said portion or parcels of land as aforesaid shall do so at their own risk. KAPITI PLAINS ESTATE LIMITED shall not honour the agreements, contracts or arrangements entered into with persons purporting to have authority to transact on the said parcel of land whether in the manner above described or in respect of such transaction.
DATED AT NAIROBI THIS 27th DAY OF OCTOBER 2018
