Table of Contents
Key Points
- Kenya’s Environment Court ruled in favor of Del Monte, directing Peter Munga to vacate the 75-acre parcel housing Pioneer School.
- Del Monte argued Goshen Gardens’ lease ended in 2015 and the land transfer to Munga’s school was unauthorized.
- Although Del Monte won, the judge allowed Pioneer International School to remain on the land until Dec. 10, 2025.
Peter Munga, one of Kenya’s richest business leaders, is set to vacate a 75-acre parcel of land in Murang’a County after a court ruled in favor of Del Monte Kenya Limited. The contested land, currently home to Pioneer International School—an institution associated with Munga—has been at the heart of a long-standing legal battle.
In a decision delivered by Justice Anne Abongo Omollo of the Environment and Land Court in Nairobi, Del Monte was granted the right to reclaim the land. The ruling marks the end of a legal dispute that began in 2015. The court directed that both Munga and the school vacate the land identified as L.R. No. 12XX7/2.
Del Monte dispute centers on lease
Del Monte had gone to court seeking a permanent injunction against Goshen Gardens Limited, the former tenant, arguing that the company had remained on the land despite its lease being terminated. According to court records, Goshen was given an eight-year lease starting in September 2013, with a monthly rent of Ksh550,000 ($4,257). But the company stopped making payments by early 2015, prompting Del Monte to issue a notice to vacate.
Although the lease was later formally terminated, Goshen refused to leave. The company claimed that Del Monte had unilaterally reduced the leased area from 100 acres to 75 and accused unknown individuals of entering the property and stealing assets worth Ksh1.6 million ($12,400).
By October 2015, Del Monte discovered that Goshen had handed over the property to Pioneer International School. The company said this transfer was done without its knowledge or approval. Minutes from an August 2015 meeting showed that Goshen director David Kigwe had expressed interest in transferring assets to Munga and asked whether the school could take over the lease.
Del Monte wins land possession dispute
In court, Munga argued there was no direct lease agreement between Pioneer and Del Monte. However, he confirmed expressing interest in acquiring the school and said he had asked Del Monte for a commitment that he could continue leasing the land once Goshen left. He told the court that based on this understanding, he went ahead to invest Ksh38 million ($295,000) in acquiring the school from Goshen and continued to pay rent on the property.
But the judge ruled that since the lease with Goshen had already been terminated, any informal arrangement involving Munga could not hold. While Del Monte was granted possession of the land, the court made an exception for the school, allowing it to operate until the end of the academic year to minimize disruption for students.
“I take regard to the best interest of the child,” Justice Omollo said. “The best interest herein is to let the school calendar for this year run to an end before the students' learning is disrupted. It is on this account that although I make an order for vacant possession, Pioneer International Schools Ltd shall surrender such vacant possession on Dec. 10, 2025.”
Equity Bank’s founder still building legacy
The court’s decision comes as Peter Munga, 81, continues to grow his business interests. Widely known for founding Equity Bank Group in 1984 with just Ksh5,000 ($100), he has since built an expansive portfolio, with stakes in firms such as Kakuzi PLC, HF Group, Britam Holdings, Equatorial Nut Processors, Freshco Seeds, and Pioneer International University.
Earlier this year, he increased his stake in Equity Group by buying shares worth Ksh166.2 million ($1.3 million). And just last week, he partnered with U.S.-based Everstrong Capital to support the $3.62 billion Nairobi–Mombasa expressway project. Through his company, Quickpass Limited, Munga is set to oversee toll operations—marking his entry into Kenya’s infrastructure and transport sector.
