After 14 years, investor to get Sh114.8m in Meru land row

The Environment and Land Court in Chuka has ordered Meru County to pay an investor Sh114.8 million for the Nteere Park land in Meru town.

The investor, Mr Isaiah Mugambi, filed the case 14 years ago in the Meru court seeking to reclaim ownership of the two parcels of land that had been taken over by the defunct Meru Municipal Council.

HOTEL DEMOLISHED

Mr Mugambi sued the attorney-general, chief land registrar and the county government.

He claimed the defendants destroyed a hotel, whose construction had been ongoing on the land that he purchased and issued with leases for 99 years.

The businessman sought to be paid Sh2.8 million for the value of the demolished building and Sh126.2 million for loss of the user premises for the remaining 89 years of lease.

In a judgment delivered by the court on April 27, 2016, the plaintiff was awarded Sh63.1 million for loss of user premises, Sh2.8 million for the destroyed building, Sh2 million as aggravated damages and Sh1 million for general damages.

However, the county government appealed the ruling at the Court of Appeal sitting in Nyeri, which upheld the compensation.

The Court of Appeal established that the buildings that were being put up on the land had been approved by the municipal council.

The case was transferred to the Environment court in Chuka on July 3, 2017 before Justice P.M. Njoroge.

The court awarded Mr Mugambi Sh109,585,488.65 for losses based based on valuation done by Mr Vincnt Kibet from Afriland Valuers Limited.