Demolished Lavington Property Linked to Uhuru's Business Partner

President Uhuru Kenyatta (right) and his lawyer Desterio Oyatsi
President Uhuru Kenyatta (right) and his lawyer Desterio Oyatsi.
Daily Nation

Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS), on the night of Saturday, May 1, demolished a section of property linked to one of President Uhuru Kenyatta's business partners. 

The agency brought down a perimeter wall and a generator house of the property in Lavington, Nairobi, associated with lawyer Desterio Oyatsi.

Oyatsi is a director at a bank where Uhuru is a shareholder alongside his brother Muhoho Kenyatta and his mother Mama Ngina. Oyatsi is also a long-time lawyer of the President and he represented him during his International Criminal Court (ICC) cases.

During the demolition of the property located along Hatheru Road, NMS claimed that it had obtained a court order to evict the private developer.

Perimeter wall demolished in Lavington by NMS on Saturday, May 1, 2021.
Perimeter wall demolished in Lavington by NMS on Saturday, May 1, 2021.
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NMS also alleged that the property was constructed on a road reserve and accused the developer of illegally grabbing the public land.

Residents of the estate, however, protested the move and vowed to move to court against the agency. They further claimed that the parcel was legally owned by Oyatsi.

"We do not have an objection from Hatheru Road Association and we do not have an objection from the residents so this is like a dead end.

"The area that NMS was to deal with in the right manner was eight meters but they ended up taking another 90 to 100 meters. Why were they going into private property? This is impunity and destruction of property," stated one of the residents.

"We are law-abiding citizens and we will seek redress in the justice system and hope that we can get restitution, compensation and have this matter settled properly," added another.

Oyatsi is an accomplished Nairobi-based lawyer, an Advocate of the High Court and Managing Partner of Shapley, Barret & Company Advocates, a leading law firm in Kenya.

He sits on several boards and his portfolio involves stints in various other organizations including Telkom Kenya and the Capital Markets Authority.

The demolitions are part of NMS' agenda to transform the city through the construction of road infrastructure.

Lawyer and businessman Desterio Oyatsi
Lawyer and businessman Desterio Oyatsi.
The Standard
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