Woman claims land being grabbed over unrequited love
A Nairobi woman has moved to court for redress claiming her property is being grabbed after she turned down sexual overtures.
Ms Veronica Kerubo Kamanda has sued Mr Benson Riitho, an administrator of a multi-million shillings worth estate in Embakasi, Nairobi, over claims that she is being humiliated ‘because of her gender.”
Ms Kerubo is the latest entrant in the protracted land tussle that saw Rangwe MP George Oner charged with fraud and forgery over the role he played as a surveyor when the land was subdivided and sold.
The woman claims to have been allocated a portion in the vast estate as a gift after playing a lead role in evacuating squatters who had invaded the plot and was also active in selling parts of the property.
“I do recall that in the year 2010 plot number 27903/523 was donated to me because of the role I played in relocating the encroachment and selling the family plots in Kware within Pipeline…the family members of defendant agreed among themselves to the donation as appreciation for what I had done in facilitating the sale of the family plots,” the plaintiffs suit papers read in part.
She alleges that two years after the agreement, Mr Riitho reneged on the agreement and started making advances.
“He made no claim over my plot until early 2013 when he approached me seeking an extramarital affair in exchange to safeguard my plot from being sold,” Ms Kerubo’s affidavit lodged at the high court reads.
“When I declined the advances and demands, he started to interfere by selling my plot to another party,” she adds.
She says Mr Riitho has consistently shifted blame of re-sale of the plots onto the Rangwe MP who conducted the survey during the period the plots were being sold, adding that there is “neither a reason nor justification for Mr Riitho to deprive her of the plot by re-selling it to the second defendant in the case, a Mr Peter Njuguna who has started to excavate the land in violation to my ownership rights.”
“The applicant stands to suffer irreparable damage unless the respondent(s) are restrained from the suit property,” lawyer Evans Ondieki said as he sought orders for an urgent hearing of the case.
The case was certified as urgent and will be heard before a duty judge in January.
“Unless the court intervenes through conservatory orders, the property will be illegally alienated…I am surprised that I am being humiliated just because of my sexuality,” Ms Kerubo’s affidavits said.