A magistrate at the Milimani law courts wants feuding children of Fig Tree Hotel Limited shareholders to settle out of court an ownership wrangle.
Chief magistrate Francis Andayi said it will be sad to see a multibillion-shilling property go to waste.
Speaking after touring the property sitting on one-and-a-half acres in Ngara, Nairobi, he advised the children of the five founding shareholders to solve the ongoing dispute out of court like one family.
"It will be sad to see what your parents fought hard to build, a multimillion-shilling property, go to waste as a result of sibling rivalry over ownership," he said.
The hotel, which closed in 2013 after a court order, is in a sorry state about eight years after its closure. Vandalised doorknobs, shattered windows, broken roof tiles were some of the mess the prime property has been reduced to.
Inside the once vibrant hotel that could accommodate 45 guests a night, are broken beds and worn-out mattresses. The place is bushy, with a heap of garbage in one corner of the perimeter wall, dumped by traders near the hotel.
The property estimated to be worth Sh1 billion is now a subject of a court battle after three directors—Lucy Waithera, Julius Mwangi and John Githenji—were charged with stealing Sh48.8 million.
The three, who were found to have a case to answer, told court after being placed on their defence that no money was lost as the same was used to repair and buy supplies that were required in the running of the hotel.
Waithera, the first accused, said the allegation of theft was motivated by malice and witch-hunt from a cousin who wants to control the property.
"The allegation lavelled against us of stealing Sh48.8 million is not true as we used the money to renovate and upgrade the hotel that was founded in 1981,” the court was told.
Among the five founders of the Fig Tree Hotel Limited were Patrick Mwangi Githinji, Mwangi Gacau, Benson Kimang'a, Mwangi Kariuki and Fredrick Njora.
Some of the five have since died and their shares were handed down to their sons, daughters and other relatives.
-Edited by SKanyara
