A government agency has forcefully seized a disputed prime property in Karen, Nairobi county.
Reports indicated that the 11-acre piece of land belonged to the family of the late Joseph Ouko. However, the family decried that after Ouko's demise, the government through a bank, descended upon the land, threatening to demolish the house and auction the property.
In its defence, the bank stipulated that the late Ouko had used the title deed to help his two friends secure a loan to which they defaulted.
The bank proceeded to auction the disputed land in order to recover the loan- selling the land to a government agency. The family has since decried blatant attacks from goons forcing them to vacate the premises or else face demolition.
Recently, two of the family members alongside a security guard claimed to have been attacked by armed goons over the disputed land.
"This government of Kenya, there are people who are heavily protected while others are not. Does it mean that the government cannot aid the poor?"
"Since the attacks happened, we have been calling the police numerous times to no avail. However, when they came they ridiculed us," one member of the family spoke to the media.
Cases of property dispute have been an issue of contention as families look to claim their rightful due. This has seen succession cases drag in courts over the years with no party looking to yield the property.
A notable case is the scramble for the multi-billion property for the former spy chief James Kanyotu. After his demise in 2008, a number of people came out seeking to be considered as beneficiaries in the vast property estimated to be over Ksh20 billion.
The doubts regarding the property led to an application to have the body exhumed in order to conduct a DNA test to determine the rightful heirs to the vast estate.
