Del Monte has protested the Kenyan High Court’s recent decision to not hear its leasehold petition due to lack of jurisdiction, Business Daily Africa reports.

The multinational has been tussling with the County Government of Murang’a over renewal of its land lease for several years.

The company occupies over 9,000 hectares of land for pineapple production and argues that it has put up massive investments.

“The Court’s pronouncement that it lacks jurisdiction and that the issues should be handled by the Environmental and Land Court will only serve to further delay a process that Del Monte Kenya has attempted to resolve amicably with the County Government of Murang’a since 2012,” Stergios Gkaliamoutsas, managing director Del Monte Kenya was quoted as saying.

The three judges reportedly ruled that the central issue in the petition was about the renewal of leases. Del Monte claims the this has been withheld by the county government.

According to the judges, the matter is within the mandate of the Environment and Land Court.

Gkaliamoutsas was quoted as saying that the Friday ruling left the livelihood of thousands of families and hundreds of businesses that rely on the Company’s pineapple production in "limbo".