Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko is searching for the family of Hawa Mohedin, who fled to the UK in 2016. The family moved after receiving threats following a court case involving their property, as alleged by the governor.
Sonko took to social media on Saturday, January 4, 2020, to call upon any person with knowledge on how to reach the Hawa family to inform them that they should return to the country and reclaim their property.
" We are appealing to relatives and friends to try and trace the family of Hawa Mohedin, who have been out of communication since they were threatened, to come back to the country and take back their property," Sonko posted.
Court of Appeal Justices E.M. Githinji, S.Ole Kantai and W.Ouko upheld the High Court's judgment which restored the property back to the Hawa family.
In 2016 they were forcefully evicted from their family property along Ngong Road off Ndemi Lane which comprised 8 maisonettes reportedly worth over Ksh1.3 billion.
The property had been acquired by the County Government of Nairobi and auctioned at a throwaway price though the family had never defaulted on paying land rates since the year 1977, according to details shared by the governor.
"Eight maisonettes worth over Ksh1.3 billion which were illegally grabbed, auctioned by the county and sold at a throwaway price of 30 million to proxies of a powerful politician five years ago for fictitious rates claims while the said family had never defaulted in paying land rates since 1977," Sonko revealed.
At the time, the governor rushed to court and secured a temporary halt on the eviction of the family.
On February 22, 2018, Justice E.O. Obaga of the High Court restored the property to the Hawa family, however, their stay on the property was short-lived after they allegedly received numerous death threats.
"For fear of their lives following the death of their ailing mother who was also roughed up by goons armed with crude weapons and grabbers, the rest of the family members led by their father/ widower fled to the UK for fear of their lives as well," Sonko alleged.
