Lawyer Donald Kipkorir awarded Ksh 1.3B for defending Nairobi County gov't in land case

The KDF is said to have forcibly obtained the parcel of land that now houses the Embakasi Barracks, triggering the lawsuit in April 2012.

Mr Kipkorir will be paid Ksh 1,338,011,582 billion in legal fees, according to a ruling issued by Deputy Registrar Diana Orago of the Employment and Labour Relations Court on June 13.

The bill of costs covers the representation of the city council in the case from April 2012 to September 2020.

According to court filings obtained by Citizen Digital, Registrar Orago arrived at the reward amount after taking into account the value of the land (Ksh 61.5 billion), numerous court appearances, and court filings.

The county government had objected to the sum, claiming that Mr Kipkorir's law firm, KTK Advocates, had a retainer agreement with the city hall for Sh400 million plus VAT.

Orago rejected the claim, saying there was no proof that the amount had been agreed upon.

"As it stands this court is not convinced that there existed a retainer agreement between the parties," read the statement.

“It is moreover quite unfortunate that no proof has been tendered to this court to show that there existed a retainer agreement between the parties other than an unsigned letter allegedly from the applicant firm,” Ms Orago said.

The applicant, KTK Advocates, denied the claims, claiming that the Respondent had the opportunity to file a Replying Affidavit to tender evidence in support of its claims but did not do so.

The court noted that the Advocates (Remuneration) Order specifies a minimum amount and that when calculating the amount, the court has the option of increasing the fees but not going below the minimum.

Kipkorir is a well-known city lawyer with a nearly two-decade legal career specializing in Corporate Law and Commercial Practice.

He has chaired several boards, including the Kenyan Government Task Force on Kenyans Working Abroad and the Football Kenya Federation Elections Board.

He has also been a director of a local commercial bank and a commissioner of the National Olympic Committee (NOC).