A case by a group of squatters against Jesus Celebration Centre (JCC) Bishop Wilfred Lai was withdrawn on Monday, November 25 after lawyer Aron Ondindiko denied ever signing the documents.
The squatters had sued the televangelist claiming that the church had encroached onto a piece of land that was not sold to him.
“We want Bishop Lai to surrender the suit premises that he did not purchase. We want him to also produce documentation indicating who sold the land to him,” Juma Mwanzunga, a local, told the Daily Nation.
The squatters had filed the case in a Mombasa court seeking to have the court surrender 50 acres of the land it currently occupied.
However, the church maintained that it acquired the parcels legally in 1999 and 2003 for a total of Ksh20 million under Redeemed Gospel Church.
Justus Kimeu, a church member, in a sworn affidavit stated that the church has invested in the land and put up amenities including a nursery, primary and secondary school.
"Since acquiring the property in 1999, it has been in our continuous physical and legal possession," Kimeu explained.
He narrated how the undeveloped parcels were over time invaded by squatters. Kimeu added that the land dispute escalated on October 18 when they noticed that the squatters had begun putting up structures on the vacant piece of land.
“With the presence of armed strangers in the suit property, our right to conduct night prayers is compromised and curtailed contrary to the law. The undeveloped portions of the suit property are used by learners as playgrounds and parking yards for church members, hence the presence of the squatters is a threat to their security," Kimeu recounted.
According to the JCC, the property was as of 2019 valued at Ksh1.2 billion.
