• In a court ruling June 3,2024,the court revoked the title deed owned by KANU party over KICC building. KANU's ownership was declared illegal and not procedural.
  • The ownership now belongs to the ministry of tourism, and the PS treasury is a trustee.
  • KANU opted for the ownership following the mismanagement and looming debts. 

In a judicial ruling on June 3, 2024, the court revoked the title deed held by Kenya African National (KANU) over the Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC) ownership. The decision marked a significant setback for KANU, who once dominated Kenyan politics.

The Environment and Land Court, led by Judge Jacqueline Mogeni, revoked the title deed issued to the party on May 25, 1989, saying it was not procedural and that the subsequent title deed given to the Ministry of Tourism was valid.

"A declaration that the Ministry of Tourism is the legal owner of the land and KICC. KANU registration is unlawful, illegal and unconstitutional," she said.

Judge Mogeni also questioned why the party failed to follow the due process.

'Who allocated the land to the petitioner? Was it the commissioner of land or the president? Or was it done with the often quoted attitude of 'Mta Do', translated to What will you do? Was it just a failure to understand the law?" She asked.

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KANU ruled in Kenya for nearly four decades following independence. Therefore, it maintained control over the iconic KICC, a landmark in Nairobi.

The court's decision to strip KANU of ownership and return it to the Ministry of Tourism is a dramatic shift in the management of national assets.

The new title deed, registration number 209/19829, was issued in June 2010 to the PS Treasury as a trustee for the Ministry of Tourism.

The ownership wrangle for this iconic building dates back years, when the government took over in February 2003. In 2020, the KANU party filed a case claiming that the government ownership was unlawful.

The party also faults the government, saying that despite taking over the KICC, it has failed to settle bills, including an electricity bill amounting to Ksh 738 million, debt to Kenya Power.

To the party's shock, the court ordered it to shoulder the burden and clear the debt of this 28-storey building to Kenya Power.

KANU, therefore, wanted the court to declare it the beneficial owner of the land, which had been allocated by the then Ministry of Land in 1989.

KICC CEO James Mwaura expressed relief at the resolution, a priority since his appointment in March 2024.

"This decision paves the way for us to focus on accelerating the strategic efforts to enhance the profitability of this iconic building and grow Kenya's conference tourism," Mwaura expressed.

Mwaura also expressed gratitude to the government, particularly Alfred Mutua, the Cabinet Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife, for its support.

As the dust settles, the focus will be on how KANU responds to this ruling and its implications for the party's future.