Harambee Stars captain Michael Olunga and his fiancée, Grace Edith Akinyi, narrowly escaped losing more than KSh 67 million in a controversial real estate transaction involving a prime commercial property in Nairobi.
Court documents reveal that the couple had entered into an agreement to purchase a commercial plot identified as LR No. 3734/423 from Captain Real Estate Company in April 2022.
According to an affidavit filed by Olunga, the football star paid the full purchase price of KSh 67,292,500 through instalments deposited into the company’s bank account at Riverside Platinum Branch in Nairobi, completing the payment by September 2022.
However, despite receiving the full amount, the company allegedly failed to transfer ownership of the property to the couple as agreed.
Olunga told the court that repeated follow-ups were met with promises that were never fulfilled. The situation reportedly took a dramatic turn when he and his fiancée discovered that the same property had allegedly been advertised and sold to another buyer.
“The company refused to honour its end of the bargain and effect the transfer of the property to Grace Akinyi and myself. They have been consistently treating us to false promises, only for us to realise that they had sold the property to another buyer,” Olunga stated in court documents.
The couple, through their lawyers, demanded a refund of the money paid, but the company allegedly delayed repayment while continuing to benefit from both the property and the funds already received.
The dispute was eventually resolved in March 2023 after both parties agreed to settle the matter out of court. As part of the settlement, Olunga successfully recovered the entire KSh 67.3 million he had paid for the property.
The case highlights the risks associated with high-value real estate transactions and serves as a reminder for buyers to conduct thorough due diligence before committing to property deals.
Olunga, one of Kenya’s most successful footballers, continues to captain the national team while pursuing his professional career abroad.
