Day High Court fined Kabogo Sh100 million for land grabbing

• Jun 15, 2022

Day High Court fined Kabogo Sh100 million for land grabbing

By Correspondent

Former Kiambu Governor and Kenya Kwanza Coalition Principal William Kabogo is a convicted land grabber even as he seeks re-election.

He stole a seven-acre parcel of land in Westlands, Nairobi.

He was exposed in 2019 after the High Court upheld a decision by a lower court directing him to pay the owner Sh100 million for trespass.

A three-judge bench described Kabogo's grabbing of the parcel located at Church Road in Westlands as "outright typical Kenyan-style land grabbing." Justices William Ouko, Fatuma Sichale and Kantai ole Sankale said Kabogo stole the land through his company, Caroget Investments Ltd, aided by officials from the Ministry of Lands.

The court said the "lightning speed with which the entire transaction was executed smacked of fraud, bad faith and deceit."

Kabogo had grabbed the property in 2009.

The piece of land, belonging to Nayan Patel through his company Aster Holdings Ltd, was valued at Sh1.8 billion.

After losing his land, Patel sued and won the case at the Environment and Land Court.

 The judgment delivered by Judge Elijah Obaga quashed the transfer of the land to Kabogo, stating that it had fraudulently been registered in the name of Caroget. K

Kabogo had faked land purchase documents.

Nevertheless, Justice Obaga said City Hall had actively participated in the fraud leading to the registration of Caroget as the owner of the property. Caroget then invaded the property and occupied it for more than 10 years.

 After the Environment Court delivered this judgment, Kabogo, obeying his fraudster instinct, attempted to sell the property for Sh200 million.

The sale did not go through.

The Court of Appeal ordered Kabogo to pay Patel Sh100 million for trespass and for using the property for over a decade.

The money also included Patel's litigation expenses. Kabogo was not happy with the judgment.

 He started threatening Patel with murder but the latter failed to yield to intimidation.

Kabogo wanted to use Deputy President William Ruto to deport Patel after the former Kiambu Governor claimed that the land belonged to a foreigner.

But Patel had all documents to show proof of ownership.

With such a clear case of breach of the integrity demanded of public servants, Kabogo wants to be the Governor of Kiambu and is a close confidant of Ruto.

His schemes must fail, just like the case above. He has no business anywhere near public office.