A Nairobi County official has told the that there are no records at City Hall to support claims by a group of squatters laying ownership of a Sh994 million parcel in Donholm.
Isaac Nyoike, who is the County Government Chief Valuer told Chief Magistrate Wendy Micheni that the squatters under Sowesava Self-Help Group have no records showing that they own the parcel of land.
The witness said that the records from City Hall show that it is Gidjoy Investments that own the parcel of land and has been paying rates to the county government.
“The leases held by the self-help group were forgeries and city hall was not involved in the amalgamating of title deeds and later subdivision of the land in question”, Nyoike told the Nairobi Court.
Nyoike was testifying in a case where four members of self-help group have denied charges of conspiracy to defraud Gidjoy of its land.
The accused persons include former Kayole Chief Alexander Hoops Shihemi, Patrobas Odoyo Awino, Peter Njoroge Kanika and Peter Gitau Muiruri.
They have also denied charges of forgery, and making a false lease, and title deed.
The officials of the self-help group were charged after forging an allotment letter, lease and title deed of a parcel of land measuring 11.8 acres located at Donholm area in Nairobi, belonging to Gidjoy investment ltd.
Further, Nyoike told the court that he forwarded the Certificates of Lease and Leases in the name of Gidjoy Investments Ltd, to the police, after he was requested for records from the county government.
He also denied a letter tabled in court by the accused persons saying he did not sign it, and that the reference number of the letter does not reflect how they address their letters, hence a forgery.
Nyoike said leases held by Sowesava Self-Help Group, Nairobi Block 82/9103 to 9322, were forgeries.
On April 20, former lands registrar at the Ministry of Lands told a Nairobi Court that a former chief and officials of a self-help group forged a title deed for land worth Sh944 million in Donholm Estate.
Rosemary Ngong’a said that a certificate of lease issued to the Sowesava Self-help Group allegedly signed by her was forged.
"I confirm that having been shown the certificate of lease purportedly signed by myself and issued to Sowesava self-help group. My take is that having looked at the signature, I can confirm that I am not the author and I didn't issue any title to the said Sowesava," Ngong’a told the court.
The hearing continues.
