North Eastern politician Adiweli Duntow has been prohibited by the Environment and Lands Court in Nairobi from interfering with or developing a valuable property in Eastleigh, Nairobi. This ruling came about due to an ongoing ownership dispute, and the court has ordered Duntow and the Chief Lands Registrar of Lands to refrain from accessing the property until the case is heard and determined on July 25, 2023.
The property in question was originally owned by Esther Nungari Kuhuithia, Gakuya Waweru, and Peninah Warura, who have since passed away. Their children, James Godfrey Wachira, David Waweru Gakuya, and David Mburu Mwangi, are now the administrators of their estates. The administrators claim that Duntow unlawfully registered the property under his name in September 2021, a fact they discovered when attempting to pay rates at the county.
According to an affidavit by David Waweru Gakuya, he learned of the ownership change when inquiring about rates at the Nairobi City County rates department. To his surprise, he discovered that Adiweli Aden Duntow, who is unrelated to the deceased estate, had illicitly entered his name as the property owner in the rates department.
The administrators further allege that Duntow has been pressuring tenants to vacate the premises so he can demolish the building. However, Duntow denies these claims and argues that he is the rightful owner of the property. In response, he has filed a counterclaim against the administrators, accusing them of attempting to defraud him.
The court case is scheduled to take place on July 25, 2023, where the dispute over ownership will be resolved. Until then, the court has ordered Duntow and the Chief Lands Registrar of Lands to refrain from any activities on the property.