The legal battle for a luxurious Kitisuru house, valued at $2 million and involving Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru and a city lawyer, has escalated with the owner of the upscale estate, Kihingo Village (Waridi Gardens) Limited, accusing the governor of being an unlawful tenant.
Kihingo Village, the developer of a $200 million estate with 55 opulent homes in Kitisuru, Nairobi, is demanding that Ms. Waiguru deposit $100,000 as security for costs. The company alleges that Waiguru has been an unauthorized occupant since 2015, owing at least $1.04 million in rent.
Governor Waiguru has sued Kihingo, requesting the court to enforce the sale agreement she entered with the company in 2015. She claims to have paid a $400,000 deposit for the house to Ndung’u Gethenji, former Tetu MP and Kihingo’s then-CEO.
However, Kihingo’s director, Gitahi Gethenji, argues that Waiguru is an “unlawful tenant” with no legitimate claim to the property. He maintains that the lease agreement between Waiguru and Ndung’u Gethenji is unenforceable under the law.
The Kihingo Village project advocate, Chris Kabiro, initially filed a case against Kihingo, which led to a court order barring the company from selling or disposing of the house in question. Kabiro now allies with Kihingo in an attempt to oust the governor from the disputed property. Both parties are urging the court to compel Waiguru to deposit $100,000 as security for costs should she lose the case.
Kihingo claims that Waiguru initiated the lawsuit with the ulterior motive of unlawfully acquiring the house. In a sworn affidavit, Gitahi Gethenji states that the governor’s financial stability is unknown and she has displayed unreliability by not paying rent since 2015.
In a surprising twist, former Tetu MP James Gethenji has come to Waiguru’s defense, asserting that he sold the house to her in 2015 and she is its legal owner. James Gethenji, a brother of Gitahi and Bob Gethenji, confirms that the governor paid him $406,871 after signing the sale agreement.
Ms. Waiguru is seeking court orders compelling Kihingo to finalize the sale agreement so she can pay the outstanding balance. The hearing will resume on July 20, with all parties ordered to file written submissions and responses before that date.