For 16 years, a disputed Ksh. 2 billion prime property in Nairobi’s Loresho suburb has been the subject of court cases and confrontations. The property’s official records indicate that it is owned by Ashok Rupshi Shah and Hitenkumar Raja.
However, three parties, including former Nairobi provincial administrator Davis Nathan Chelogoi, claim ownership. The authenticity of two of the titles has been dismissed by the courts, while the third title, held by Chelogoi, is still being contested.
As of March this year, three parties were dangling three different title deeds, all claiming ownership of the same property. The courts have dealt with the authenticity of two of the titles and concluded that the one held by Ashok Rupshi Shah and Hitenkumar Amritlal Raja is genuine.
Judges dismissed the one held by the deceased businessman Jacob Juma, who died in 2016. Juma’s widow and administrator of his estate, Miriam, says she will take the matter to the Appellate Court. Chelogoi’s title shows it was presented on June 4, 2021, and that the lease is for 99 years from February 1, 1995.
However, the Sunday Nation will avoid commenting on this document since its authenticity is still being contested in court. Despite the disputes, there have been attempts to tamper or “regularise” records at the Lands registry concerning the property.
This property has attracted the interest of powerful people, including Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja, who agreed to purchase the land for more than Ksh. 900 million in April 2023. The governor is the sole shareholder and director of Ayoti Ltd, his company that signed the agreement with Chelogoi while the land was still a subject of a court dispute.
Despite constant requests, Sakaja has not publicly addressed his involvement in the matter. This dispute has also involved Embu Governor Cecily Mbarire, who denied meddling in the issue but admits to having tried to help Chelogoi, who is her in-law.
Leave a Reply