Tuju's 20-acre Karen estate on the block after missed Ksh.50M deposit

In a public auction notice published in the dailies on Monday, Garam Auctioneers said it would auction the Entim Sidai Wellness Sanctuary in Karen, Nairobi, on August 25, 2026.

The notice describes the property as measuring about 8.164 hectares, or 20.2 acres, and comprising a well-maintained colonial-style residence with nine bedrooms, a two-bedroom bungalow, staff quarters, a lawn tennis court and other ancillary structures.

It further states that part of the land had been earmarked for 12 residential villas made up of five-bedroom and seven-bedroom all-ensuite standalone houses. The proposed seven-bedroom villas were to sit on about half an acre each, while the five-bedroom units were planned for quarter-acre plots.

The planned auction follows orders issued by High Court judge Moses Ado on May 21, 2026, directing Tuju to deposit KSh50 million in a joint interest-earning account held by lawyers for both parties within 30 days, as security pending the hearing of the dispute.

The court also ordered him to file and serve the record of appeal within 60 days, warning that failure to meet either condition would automatically lift the interim orders that had stopped the sale of the property.

The dispute stems from a USD9.3 million loan facility the East African Development Bank advanced to Tuju in April 2015. The funds were intended to partly finance the acquisition and development of commercial units for sale in Nairobi.

The matter has been litigated for years in courts in the United Kingdom and Kenya, including the High Court and the Court of Appeal, and is currently pending before the Supreme Court. Lower courts have previously upheld the bank's position that the debt should be repaid.

In dismissing Tuju's appeal, the Court of Appeal said he was "merely hanging onto technicalities in order to avoid his just obligations arising from the contract of guarantee."