On 21 November 2018, Justice Pauline Nyamweya was at the centre of two separate High Court tax disputes in which the Kenya Revenue Authority was seeking billions of shillings from Housemart Co Limited and Mastermind. In both matters, the parties moved toward out-of-court settlement.
The first case involved Housemart Co Limited, which filed a consent with the KRA at the High Court. The agreement allowed the company to contest the outstanding tax in line with the law. Justice Paul Nyamweya then adopted the consent as an order of the court, vacated the temporary orders, and marked the file as closed.
In the second matter, lawyers representing the parties told Justice Pauline Nyamweya on Tuesday that negotiations had progressed and asked for more time to reach a consent outside court. The judge directed that the case be mentioned on 5 December and extended orders stopping KRA from seizing or auctioning Mastermind’s assets.
The article also linked Nyamweya to the Ruaraka land saga, saying she had featured in that controversy. It further repeated calls for investigations into judges and other officials mentioned in corruption-related scandals, while criticising the reluctance of then Chief Justice David Maraga to act against online criticism of judicial officers.
Nyamweya’s handling of the two tax cases was presented as part of a broader pattern in which companies facing tax evasion claims could pursue negotiated settlements before the court.
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The source also referenced earlier reporting on the Ruaraka land saga and said the matter had been serialised before the publication was gagged by court action after Francis Mburu Mungai sued editor Cyprian Nyakundi for defamation.
It additionally mentioned the ODPP, DCI, JSC and EACC in a warning that tax evasion cases should be watched closely where negotiations are involved.
