This archive report was first published on 18 August 2019.
On August 18, 2019, a court in Nyeri took a drastic measure in a long-standing dispute over a prime property valued at over Sh60 million.
The court, led by Justice Mary Oundo of the Environment and Lands Court, sentenced 14 tenants to a month in civil jail for contempt after they failed to deposit their rent in court as directed on March 23, 2017.
The tenants, who occupy houses owned by United Social Club, were also given an alternative option to pay a fine of Sh10,000 each.
The dispute over the property, which has been ongoing for years, involves two factions of the club's management team, led by Erastus Kiama Gichuki and Gerald Kibocha Wambugu.
The court had earlier directed that the proceeds from the property be deposited in the court's bank account, pending determination of the case.
However, the tenants failed to comply with the court's order, leading to the contempt charges.
The court's decision has sparked a heated debate over the ownership and management of the property, with both factions accusing each other of wrongdoing.
