The high court on Thursday dismissed a case that had sensationally accused US Multinational Del Monte of killing and assaulting locals in its
vast pineapple plantation in Kenya.
Lady Justice Florence Muchemi cited lack of jurisdiction to hear the case as one of the reasons for dismissing the case
She ruled that the court does not have the jurisdiction to determine the petition and dismissed an accompanying application seeking to amend the case, stating it lacked merit.
“This court declared itself to lack jurisdiction to hear and determine the petition, being a public interest matter as it appeared to the court after reviewing the documents, I hereby order each party to bear its own costs.” The judge ruled.
In the case, a lobby group and local community activists, accused Del Monte of responsibility for violent incidents, including killings, allegedly perpetrated by its security personnel.
The petitioners alleged that Del Monte security guards were involved in multiple killings of alleged trespassers, who were reportedly beaten, drowned in plantation dams, or had their bodies discarded in nearby rivers.
The accusations come amid a long-standing land ownership dispute between Del Monte and local communities, who claim the company’s 10,000-acre plantation near Nairobi sits on ancestral land. The petition alleged that locals crossing into the plantation have faced severe retaliation, including beatings, torture, rape, and even murder.
