[Source: Standard Digital, by Josphat Thiong’o and Kamau Maichuhie]
A tycoon has won round one of a case in which he is battling with a church over ownership of a multi-million-shilling piece of land in Buruburu.
Last week, a Nairobi court granted Patrick Nderitu, through his company Landmark International Properties Limited, orders compelling the Lands Registrar in Nairobi to maintain the registration status of land LR/No. Nairobi Block 78/863 in the name of the company.
Milimani Commercial Court Chief Magistrate Liz Gicheha granted the orders in a case in which Mr Nderitu’s firm has sued the Glad Tidings Crusade Church.
“The plaintiff’s company is hereby allowed to take possession of the land and remove any property of the church, their agents, servants or any other person acting on their behalf,” reads part of the order.
There was drama in May when Mr Nderitu showed up to evict the church and a school on the land, claiming ownership of the prime parcel in the heart of Buruburu estate.
The eviction was, however, stopped when Governor Mike Sonko, accompanied by a number of county staff, stormed the scene where demolitions had already started and ordered them stopped.
Mr Sonko and his team confronted the demolition squad, which claimed it had a court order to do the job and chased them away claiming the exercise was ‘cartel-centred and done illegally and inhumanely’.
It remains to be seen what the county administrators will do since the court also ordered OCS Buruburu Police Station to ensure that peace and tranquillity prevail during the enforcement of the fresh court orders.
Nderitu in the complaint filed in court indicates that on July 30 last year he entered into a sale agreement with the defendants and bought the premises.
He maintains he paid the full purchase price to the defendants on the same day upon execution of the sale agreement.
Nderitu told the court that according to the terms of the sale agreement, the defendants were to deliver both vacant possessions and all completion documents within 90 days.
[Full article: Standard Digital, by Josphat Thiong’o and Kamau Maichuhie]
