Businessman Bundotich Kiprop, popularly Known as Buzeki, has denied a widow's claim that he conned her out of a Sh200 million piece of prime land in Nairobi.
In an interview with The Star on Wednesday, Buzeki said he does not own the 2.3 hectare Garden Estate property. He noted he cherishes honesty as this is what his business success is based on.
"I support hundreds of youths nationally by paying their fees. I am God-fearing," he said.
The allegations were by Pauline Cherop, 78, whose three sons - Ronald Kiptanui, Daniel Kipkorir and Donald Kipruto - have also denied that Buzeki conned her.
They claimed she was being used by cartels to damage Buzeki's reputation because of his bid for Uasin GIshu governor as an independent candidate, against incumbent
Jackson Mandago.
Read:
Widow Pauline Cherop during an interview with The Star on May 24, 2017. /MATHEWS NDANYI
The woman's sons said the family owes the businessman Sh43 million, a part-payment for the land, and other sums given to assist the family.
“Our mother is being misused by cartels which have been misleading and conning her. Now they are using her to damage the name of Buzeki who is our cousin and has been very helpful to this family. This is pure malice against him," said Kiptanui.
They mentioned brokers but did not give more information.
The widow claimed that on June 20, 2012,
she signed an agreement to sell the land, reference number LR 11973, to Buzeki as the administrator for her late husband Samuel Cherop's estate.
The agreement was with a Mombasa based firm known as Bunoil Limited, associated with Buzeki and his brother Edward Bundotich.
Cherop claimed the deal was for Sh180 million
and that Buzeki partly paid her through cheques after which she surrendered her title.
But she said cheques worth Sh12 million bounced and that she tried in vain to get her title back.
“I have used so much money looking for the title and I am now too old. I have not been assisted even at the many government offices I have visited," she said.
The three sons of widow Pauline Cherop during an interview with The Star on May 24, 2017. /MATHEWS NDANYI
But her sons said she is not listed as an administrator of the property owned by three parties, not just her family.
Lawyers for the family, Kipkenda and Company Advocates, have also written to Cherop saying the three parties, including her late husband, owned equal shares of the land.
“The owners sold the land to Bunoil through an agreement on May 14, 2012 but the agreement was frustrated by the then City Council of Nairobi which claimed the land belonged to Garden Estate Primary School," the firm said.
The City Council, using the school, moved to court to block Bunoil from taking over the land but a court later ordered that the school vacate the property. The order has never been implemented.
It was later established that the land had also been listed in the Ndungu report as grabbed public property.
On December 19, 2016, registered administrators of the estate, who are listed as Daniel Cherop, Dr Susan Cherop and Ronald Cherop,
advised Kipkenda to deal with them on matters concerning it.
“The stalemate on the sale of the estate still persists and we confirm that the original title of the property is in our possession, on behalf of the three proprietors who include administrators of the estate of the late Samuel Cherop," says Kipkenda’s letter.