I, not Limo, own the Sh50m Eldoret town plot, says court server, 71

A 71-year-old court process server from Kaptumo in Nandi county yesterday said he is the new owner of a Sh50 million plot in Eldoret town said to belong to international athlete Richard Limo. Hasan Kipkemboi Ng’eny claimed the plot was allocated to him by the government early this year and issued with a title deed, which he is in possession of his advocate whom he had appointed to sell it.

The plot, Eld. Mun. 7/178, is under investigation by the CID and Ethics and Anti-corruption Commission after Limo sought their help following the puzzling transfer said to have been done under high level influence. Limo, the 2001 Edmonton Canada 5,000 metres gold medalist, said he bought the plot in 2003 from former PS in the Office of the President Aaron Kandie and was transferred to him. Kandie has since died. “I have been paying annual rent and government rates ever since. I was shocked someone wanted to steal from me the property I bought leave alone being allocated,” said the runner yesterday. ''The plot's title deed is in my name and is being held by my lawyer R.M.Wafula at his Eldoret office. I have given him powers of attorney to sell it at 35 million,'' Ng’eny said at his home in Ibanja village, Aldai constituency yesterday.

Contacted by the phone yesterday, Wafula refused to comment and instead promised to call back to elaborate more on the controversy surrounding his clients land. The court process server was a year ago banned from setting foot in the Kapsabet law by then principal magistrate Abdiqadir Lorot for allegedly conning people off money in the pretext of assisting them in accessing court processes. Lorort has since been moved to Milimani courts in Nairobi.

Many plot and land owners in Kapsabet and Eldoret towns have been conned off their prime plots after the registration of their plots are altered by some senior Lands officers in both towns who collude with conmen and subsequent dispose off the properties. Limo is one of the international athletes who have fallen prey to conmen among them is Marathoner Abel Kirui who lost millions to conmen after he was cheated into buying a none existing plot in Kapsabet.