Nairobi, July 29 -- A Catholic church in Siaya County is facing eviction from a land parcel over an unpaid Sh50,000 from a purchase deal dating back to 1976.

The Environment and Land Court ruled that the church's five decades of occupation could not defeat the registered landowner's title because it never paid the agreed purchase price despite building a permanent church on the land.

The court said that the church, which is under the Catholic Diocese of Kisumu, had no legal basis to remain on the property after the landowner, Lawrence Atinga Oyugi, withdrew his consent.

In the judgment dated July 24, 2026, the court allowed Mr Oyugi's appeal and overturned a decision by a Magistrate's Court in 2024, which had dismissed his demand for t...