Court stops businesswoman Dorcas Kiptoo from accessing Sh4.6 billion Karen land

The Environment and Land Court issued orders stopping businesswoman Dorcas Joan Kiptoo from interfering with a parcel of land in Karen valued at Sh4.6 billion shillings.

In the case, Alvind Kanji Patel has sued and says the property is 66 acres of land with structures, buildings and offices. 

He said he will suffer irreparable injury which cannot be compensated in damages.

According to court papers, Patel said that he has been in possession of the said land since 1965. 

On March 2, 2024, Patel says the defendants gained illegal entry to the property.

This prompted him to move to court before Justice Oguttu Mboya issued the orders. 

“That an order of interim injunction to restrain Dorcas Kiptoo and two others either by themselves, servants or agents acting on her behalf from entering, remain and in any other manner whatsoever from interfering with the plaintiffs rights over the suit property pending hearing or further directions from this court,” the court ruled.

“There be and is hereby granted an order of Interim Injunction to restrain the first defendant/ respondent herein, either by herself, agents, servants and/ or anyone claiming under her from entering upon, remaining on and/ or in any manner whatsoever interfering with the plaintiff/ applicant’s rights over the suit property or any portion thereof, pending the Inter-parties hearing, or further directions of the court.”

He said Dorcas came with hired goons and police officers and forcefully entered and trespassed the property known as L.R. Nos. 2255/1 and 2255/2 situated in Karen which is an estimate of 66 acres.

He further argued that Dorcas allegedly hired goons who forcefully gained access to the property, chased his employee and started fencing the property.

 Similarly, he claims that Dorcas never produced a little deed to the land she is claiming ownership of. She claims she has “blessings from above”. 

He said he has been in possession of the land known as as L.R. Nos. 2255/1 and 2255/2 situated in Karen since the year 1965 and he has been paying the land rent and rates for all the consequential years.

The Officer Commanding Station (OCS) Karen was ordered to enforce the orders. 

“That for the sake of peace and to avert any iota of violence, the Orders herein shall be Enforced by the Sub-County Police Commandant, Karen/ Langata; and the O.C.S- Karen Police Station, respectively,” the orders issued by justice Oguttu Mboya read. 

In the suit its alleged that Kanji Patel manager reported the illegal intrusion and occupation of Dorcas Kiptoo on 2nd March 2024 at the Karen Plains Police Station, the manager was summoned by the Karen Plains Police Station officer to the police station on 3rd March 2024 that there is a complaint made against him for creating disturbances and the manager was arrested on 5th March 2024 by Karen Plains Police Officers and was released on the said 5th March 2024 upon intervention of his advocate.

They claim that despite serving the OCS Karen plains with the court order nothing has been done to stop the grabbing and destruction of property by the defedant.

The case will be heard on March 18. 

This is the latest case where grabbers are targeting private land for their own use. 

The trend has been on the rise with the grabbers using the names of prominent personalities to illegally access and occupy private land. 

Many land owners are worried as police also seem be overwhelmed.