The High Court has given businessman Daniel Kimani Kariuki control of Ridgeways Inn-The Yard on Kiambu Road and barred his former fiancée, Sylvia Wamboi Karanja, from entering the nightclub while a ownership dispute is heard.
Justice Mary Kasango ordered Ms Karanja to hand over control of the business to Mr Kariuki, who is challenging changes he says were made to the club’s ownership through forged documents.
The judge said Ms Karanja’s objection did not answer the serious forgery claims raised against her. She also noted that Ms Karanja had not filed a defence or memorandum of appearance, even though she had been served with the summons and plaint on October 16, 2018.
In the ruling, the court also stopped Ms Karanja from receiving any payments from Ridgeways Inn or interfering with Mr Kariuki’s access and control of the premises until the case is concluded.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the said Sylvia Wamboi Karanja shall cease to enter or remain at the said premises known as Ridgeways Inn-The Yard pending the hearing and determination of this suit. Daniel Kimani Kariuki is the sole person permitted by this court to run the business of Bebadis Company Limited at L.R. 27/272 along Kiambu Road until further orders of this court,” ruled Justice Kasango.
Mr Kariuki filed suit in October, saying Ms Karanja forged documents to remove him and his niece, Ruth Wanjiru Maigua, from the club’s ownership. He said the transfer happened only three weeks before he was due to pay dowry to Ms Karanja’s family.
The case lists Bebadis Ltd as the first plaintiff, with Mr Kariuki and Ms Maigua as the second and third plaintiffs. Ms Karanja is named as a defendant together with The Ridgeways Yard Ltd, the company she owns.
Ms Karanja had asked the court to throw out the case. She argued that she is the sole director of Bebadis and that she never authorised the company to file proceedings.
Justice Kasango rejected that objection, saying Mr Kariuki and Ms Maigua had shown they were once directors of Bebadis and had denied resigning or selling their shares. The judge said the objection turned on disputed facts, while a preliminary objection must rest on points of law.
Mr Kariuki says he, Ms Maigua and Ms Karanja incorporated Bebadis Ltd in October 2015 and used it to run the nightclub and other businesses.
Separately, Ms Karanja is facing forgery charges at the Chief Magistrate’s Court in Engineer, Kinangop. She was released on a Sh1 million bond two weeks ago.
She was arrested after a complaint by lawyer Paul Njihia Njoroge, who said he did not know any of the parties in the ownership dispute and had not witnessed any documents connected to the inn.
Ms Karanja has since written to DPP Noordin Haji, saying police have harassed her on Mr Kariuki’s instructions over a matter that is already before the civil court.
