Kenya’s Kwanza deputy presidential candidate Rigathi Gachagua has moved to court over a Sh1.5 billion property and against a Ministry of Lands official.
Through his company, Wamunyoro Investments Limited, the Mathira MP has filed a lawsuit at the Environment and Lands Court aiming to stop the sale of a five-acre piece of land in Embakasi.
Through lawyer Philip Nyachoti, Gachagua accused the Director of Physical Planning at the Ministry of Lands John Michael Ohas of illegally assigning the land’s title to Columbus 2000 Limited and forbidding him of the rights despite being the legal owner.
“Mr Ohas took advantage of his position to transfer the land’s title to Columbus 2000 Limited where he is the director and deliberately tampered with the records whereby any official search indicates that Gachagua and his company are not the owners,” said Nyachoti.
According to Gachagua, he attained the land legally from the Original owners in 2012 and Ohas acquired a second title deed of the property illegally and fraudulently while his name was still in the first title.
His lawyer requested the court to issue a directive to stop Ohas, Columbus 2000 Ltd, from selling and meddling with the title deed of the parcel of land citing that Gachagua acquired the land through a loan from Equity and forbidding him the land will be costly for him.
“The property is currently valued at Sh1.5 billion and was used by Mr. Gachagua, through his company Wamunyoro Investments Ltd, as security to obtain a loan of Sh200 million from Equity Bank. Refusing to register him as the land’s owner is causing him losses,” said Nyachoti.
Mr Ohas, however, has justified himself stating that he was allocated the plot in 1994 by former President Daniel Moi, among others that included former Minister Taita Towett, Francis Maritim, and Afro-Anglo Investments, he later reached out to a licensed surveyor who produced a deed plan.
Ohas, now wants the court to declare him the legitimate owner of the five acres of land and that the new records at the Ministry of Lands are deceitful. He is also seeking compensation for damages.
