Ramji Brothers Go for the Jugular, Seek Jail Terms for Mombasa Cement Directors in Explosive 14-Year Land War Endgame

The bitter battle over a 7.4-acre parcel of land in Mavoko has entered a new and potentially explosive phase, with businessmen Harish, Bharat, and Ashvin Ramji preparing to pursue private criminal proceedings against directors of Mombasa Cement Limited following years of litigation that culminated in a Supreme Court setback for the cement manufacturer.

The brothers want senior officials at the company, including director Dhruv Hasmukh Patel and Chief Executive Officer Bhadra Shah, to face criminal scrutiny over allegations linked to trespass on the prime parcel valued at approximately Sh350 million.

Sources close to the family say the brothers believe their legal victory over the land dispute is only part of the battle and that those they hold responsible for years of litigation, arrests, and alleged harassment must now be held personally accountable.

The dispute, which has stretched for more than 14 years, revolves around ownership of land known as LR No. 11895/50 in Mavoko Municipality. Both the Ramji family and Mombasa Cement claimed to have acquired the property from the National Social Security Fund (NSSF), triggering a prolonged legal contest that moved through multiple courts.

A 14-Year Court Battle

The conflict dates back to 2010 when the competing claims first emerged. In 2019, the Ramji brothers suffered a major setback after losing their case at the Environment and Land Court. However, they successfully appealed the decision, with the Court of Appeal overturning the ruling and recognizing them as the lawful owners of the land.

The appellate court found that discrepancies appearing in ownership documents relied upon by the brothers amounted to clerical errors and did not invalidate their title.

Mombasa Cement subsequently sought to escalate the matter to the Supreme Court, arguing that critical legal questions regarding land ownership documents and title validity required interpretation by the country's highest court.

The attempt failed.

A bench comprising Court of Appeal judges Patrick Kiage, Kathurima M'Inoti and Francis Tuiyott held that the issues raised by Mombasa Cement had already been conclusively addressed by previous Supreme Court decisions and did not raise matters of general public importance warranting further review.

The ruling effectively ended the ownership dispute and affirmed the Ramji brothers as the legitimate proprietors of the property.

The judges emphasized that when ownership documents are challenged, courts must examine the process through which the title was acquired. In their assessment, that analysis favored the Ramji family and weakened Mombasa Cement's claim.

Arrests Spark New Legal Front

Despite the appellate victory, the controversy resurfaced dramatically in late 2025 when the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) arrested the three brothers and charged them with offences related to forgery of transfer documents connected to the same land.

The arrests triggered immediate legal challenges.

The brothers argued that the criminal proceedings were an unlawful attempt to revive a land dispute that had already been conclusively determined by superior courts.

Their lawyers pointed to an earlier Court of Appeal order issued in September 2024 barring investigations, arrests and prosecutions connected to the property while related appeals remained active.

The criminal case later collapsed after a magistrate's court declared the charge sheet defective and ruled that the proceedings could not continue.

The decision strengthened the brothers' claims that law-enforcement agencies had improperly intervened in a dispute already settled through the judicial process.

In a constitutional petition filed at the High Court, the brothers accused the Director of Public Prosecutions and the DCI of violating their rights through unlawful investigations, arrests, and prosecution.

They are seeking orders preventing any future investigations, arrests or criminal proceedings linked to the property and have demanded Sh600 million in damages for what they describe as reputational harm, business disruption,, and emotional distress.

According to court filings, the brothers argue that they suffered public humiliation and financial losses after being portrayed as criminal suspects despite favorable rulings from higher courts.

Pressure Mounts on Mombasa Cement

Sources familiar with the matter say the brothers now intend to shift focus toward individuals they believe played a role in prolonging the dispute.

They reportedly intend to seek criminal accountability against senior company officials, arguing that the dispute went beyond a normal commercial disagreement and evolved into a campaign that exposed them to legal and reputational harm.

The renewed legal offensive comes at a time when the family behind Mombasa Cement has remained in the public spotlight following a series of high-profile social events and ongoing legal controversies involving family estate disputes and property matters.

The latest developments also revive wider debates about Kenya's land ownership conflicts, the use of criminal investigations in civil disputes, and the ability of private citizens to pursue accountability when they believe state agencies have acted improperly.

For the Ramji brothers, the Supreme Court's refusal to reopen the ownership battle may have closed the civil case, but it has not ended the conflict.

Instead, it appears to have set the stage for a new and potentially more consequential confrontation—one that could see senior Mombasa Cement officials facing legal action over a dispute that has already consumed more than a decade of court battles.