Nairobi businessman charged in Ksh.150 milllion land fraud case

John Kigomo Mwaura appeared before Milimani Principal Magistrate Geoffrey Onsarigon and pleaded not guilty to  12 counts related to conspiracy to defraud, forgery, making documents without authority, uttering forged documents, trespass and obtaining land registration through false pretences.

According to the charge sheet, Mwaura is alleged to have conspired to unlawfully acquire a maisonette standing on LR No. 1870/III/417, IR No. 86014, a 0.1178-hectare parcel in Westlands valued at Ksh.150 million.

The property belongs to Sabahatt Shokatali Habib and Sadaff Shokatali Habib, daughters of the late industrialist Shokatali Gulam Hussein Habib.

The court was told that the accused caused the registration of a fraudulent lease document purporting it to have been genuinely issued by the Ministry of Lands at Ardhi House on or before April 29, 2019.

The prosecution further told the court that the suspects forged stamp impressions belonging to land registrar O.J. Cattwright on lease documents linked to the disputed property while falsely presenting them as authentic records.

Mwaura is jointly charged with Abdisalan Adan Hussein, who is currently at large. A warrant of arrest was issued against him and he is being sought by detectives.

Adan also faces separate charges of uttering forged documents, including a lease agreement, transfer of lease and sale agreement, to Corporal Omar Fadhila of the DCI land fraud unit at Mazingira Complex on March 23, 2023.

He is additionally accused of trespassing onto the complainants’ property in 2019 with the intent to annoy them.

Through his lawyer, he urged the court to release him on bail.

“I am elderly and currently suffering from severe chronic diseases that require urgent medical care,” the court heard.

However, prosecutor and complainants’ lawyer Paul Macharia opposed the application, arguing that the accused had previously ignored several court summons and was only arrested after failing to present himself before the court.

Trial Magistrate Onsarigo declined to release the accused on bail and directed that a probation report be prepared before the court considers bond terms.

A  warrant of arrest against co-accused Abdisalan Adan Hussein was also extended.

The matter will be mentioned on May 20, 2026, for further directions.