Court gavel./HANDOUTReal estate firm Comfort Homes has filed a contempt of court application against two of its clients, accusing them of defying court orders and maliciously tarnishing the company’s reputation through social media campaigns.
The property developer claims the two have embarked on a deliberate smear campaign aimed at misleading the public and evading repayment of a loan facility that was already ruled upon by a court.
In the filing at the Kiambu Law Courts, Comfort Homes seeks orders barring the two from publishing or circulating any defamatory content against the company and its officials.
The firm is also demanding that they settle an outstanding debt of Sh2.9 million, which the company says remains unpaid despite a court judgment directing repayment.
“We have 18 years in business, over 30,000 clients, and 700 employees. Our reputation is built on trust, not deception. What they’re doing is a smear tactic to avoid repaying what they owe,” said Chief Executive Officer Ezekiah Kariuki Mwangi in an affidavit.
Mwangi accused the two clients of using social media platforms to spread false information about the company’s dealings and of deliberately twisting facts to mislead the public.
“Unless this Honourable Court urgently intervenes, the respondents will continue to disseminate defamatory content, thereby aggravating the applicant’s suffering and rendering any eventual judgment nugatory,” he said.
He described the situation as a case of defamation and emotional blackmail, arguing that the pair turned to public theatrics after losing a Sh3.5 million loan dispute in court.
“This is a clear case of manipulation and misinformation. We helped the client clear a debt taken elsewhere, and now the client is turning around to discredit the very institution that came to the rescue,” Mwangi added.’’
Court documents show that the dispute dates back to 2020, when the client approached Comfort Homes seeking financial help to offset a Sh2 million loan taken from another lender.
Comfort Homes agreed to buy off the debt and entered into a legally binding repayment agreement with said client. Under this arrangement, The client received Sh1.2 million, later topped up with an additional Sh800,000, using her property as collateral.
The client subsequently requested a further Sh100,000 to fund travel expenses for what the client described as a business venture abroad.
Comfort Homes chief executive officer Ezekiah Kariuki Mwangi/HANDOUTHowever, despite multiple engagements and extensions, Mwangi told the court that the client defaulted on repayments, then turned to law enforcement agencies in an attempt to criminalise what was purely a civil matter.
According to Comfort Homes, all investigative agencies found no wrongdoing on the part of the company.
In 2023, the Chief Magistrate’s Court in Nairobi ruled in favour of Comfort Homes, ordering the client to pay Sh3.5 million in 24 monthly installments of Sh145,800, effective June 1, 2025.
The ruling further required the client to appoint an independent rent collection agent to manage the property, with all proceeds directed to the loan account until the debt was cleared.
Additionally, the court restricted the client's access to the property during the repayment period.
Despite the clear judgment, the company now claims that the client and associate have instead resorted to what it calls “social media theatrics” aimed at discrediting the firm.
As of now, the company says the client has only paid
Sh597,400, leaving the bulk of the loan unpaid.
