A recent legal dispute involving two families has resulted in a widow and her son being ordered to vacate approximately 230 acres of land in Naivasha.
The conflict centered around properties claimed by both families, one associated with the late chief spymaster James Kanyotu and the other with the late Gitonga Mwangi Muriithi. Muthoni and her son, Dickson, had filed a lawsuit against three widows of James Kanyotu, alleging ownership of the disputed properties.
Muthoni’s claim was based on her late husband’s involvement as a director of Kamuta Limited, a company in which Kanyotu and Muriithi were also directors. However, the defendants refuted Muthoni’s claim, stating that her late husband was not a director or shareholder of Kamuta Limited but rather an employee responsible for managing Kanyotu’s farm.
In a judgment delivered on September 21, 2023, Justice Loice Komingoi dismissed Muthoni’s application and ruled in favor of Kamuta Limited.
The court declared that the defendant was the exclusive owner of the properties in question and ordered Muthoni to pay Sh1 million for trespassing on the land.
Additionally, the court awarded general damages for trespass and issued a permanent injunction restraining the plaintiffs from further interference with the defendant’s properties.
The court also noted that the plaintiffs had leased portions of the properties to third parties without the defendant’s consent, further solidifying the defendant’s claim to the land. The properties are currently used for various purposes, including farming, hospitality, and recreational activities.
