This archive report was first published on 21 July 2019.
Residents of an upmarket estate in Kitusuru, Kiambu County, are living in fear due to constant run-ins with their former MP and neighbor, Ndung'u Gethenji. The residents of Kihingo Village, who bought their houses from Gethenji, are seeking the intervention of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Noordin Haji in a dispute that has landed Gethenji in court.
According to a letter by their lawyer, Allen Gichuhi, the residents are facing abuse, harassment, and fear for their personal safety. They have invested heavily in their dream homes, only to be constantly harassed by persons acting in contempt of court.
The dispute centers around the ownership of a company that manages the estate. The residents claim that they committed themselves to a single management company, Kihingo Village (Waridi Gardens) Management Ltd, when they bought their houses. However, a new management company, Kihingo Village Management One Ltd, surfaced with a different shareholding structure controlled by Gethenji.
A 2016 arbitration knocked off the new shareholding structure, but Gethenji has continued to defy court orders. The residents have met under the auspices of the original management company and voted out Gethenji and his associates from the company.
Among the cases pending in court is one seeking to restrain Gethenji from passing himself out as a director of the original management company and another on contempt of court for allegedly defying a “status quo” order on the shareholding matter.
A final ruling on one of the civil cases is due on September 26. The residents are seeking the DPP's urgent intervention to bring an end to the controversy.
