In July 2022, the family of the late president Daniel Arap Moi was ordered to pay Sh. 2 billion to a widow for grabbing her 53-acre land. The Moi family was ordered to pay the heavy cash together with the family of sugar baron Rai.
This land is said to have been grabbed in 1983 following a presidential directive that the former late president Moi gave the Land ministry to forcefully take ownership of the land that is located in Eldoret town.
The late Moi had sold this land to Rai’s family 24 years after the forceful acquisition, which has now been declared as illegal. The land is currently occupied by Rai Plywood (K) Limited.
In this ruling, Court of Appeal judges Patrick Kiage, Kathumira M’Inoti and Mumbi Ngugi dismissed two appeals against a 2019 judgment that ordered for the compensation package to Susan Chelugui, the 88-year-old widow of former chief Noah Chelugui and her son David.
Moi’s estate and his family had, through its administrator Zehrabanu Janmohammed, appealed against High Court judge Antony Ombwayo’s 2019 order that Ms Chelugui and her son be paid Sh. 1.06 billion, which was the value of the property.
This was one of many rulings in which the family of the late Moi is being ordered by courts to pay for land grabbed by the former president. The bills are currently in excess of Sh. 5.1 billion.
In one of the latest land disputes, the late Moi is claimed to have sold a parcel of land measuring 20 acres in Nairobi’s Muthaiga area to Equity Bank chief executive officer Dr. James Mwangi.
This same parcel is also being claimed by US-based businessman George Kiongera, and United States International University-Africa who all say they bought it from Moi.
Dr. Kiongera is claiming Sh. 1.6 billion for the land as well as costs incurred since 2016. He says that he paid Moi Sh. 500 million. Dr. Mwangi on his part claims he bought the property from Moi in 2012 for Sh. 320 million.
Pending at the Supreme Court also is a Sh. 1.9 billion compensation suit filed by former deputy director of Intelligence Stephen Mwangi Muriithi.
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He has sued for forcible seizure of his property, including 1,020 acres in Solai, Nakuru County.
Muriithi had initially sued the late Moi for depriving him of his properties, including land, buildings and shares in three companies, where they were allegedly business partners.
According to one report, the High Court in 2011 awarded him Sh. 1.9 billion for loss suffered in sale of his properties and damages for illegal detention. This was then overturned by the Court of Appeal in 2014, forcing him to move to the Supreme Court.
